Empty Places
by Miracles79
Summary: Kirino is a remarkable individual. At 14 she is already top of her school, in a sporting and academic sense, as well as a recognized model for a popular magazine. She's everything every 14 year old dreams of becoming. So why is she in so much pain? Why does she feel like something is missing from her life? Why does she feel so empty? Rated T for now at least.
1. Chapter 1: Something Missing?

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

.

Empty Places 

By Miracles79

.

Chapter 1: Something missing

* * *

.

.

.

There was always something missing. Some strange anomaly in her life that she neither knew nor understood but it was there none the less haunting her, inflicting unseen damage upon her. Even she couldn't explain the pain she was feeling, the famed and recognized Kosaka Kirino was hurting but she didn't understand why?

In truth she had no reason to be hurting. She had everything any 14 year old girl would have idly dreamed of. She has the money, the fame, and the adoration of lecherous often perverse fans. Um well… maybe not that last one but otherwise things were working in her favour. In fact such a fortunate person like her had no right to be hurting but even still, despite her envious life, something deep within her chest continued to ache.

Drawing her gaze from her laptop momentarily, Kirino moved off her bed and approached the nearby window. Gazing forlornly, Kirino carefully inspected the front of the Kosaka house for any sign of danger, for since her rise in popularity she had been warned over and over again that she needed to be mindful of her surroundings especially when she was on her own. Her manager was very persistent to say the least.

Incidentally, Kirino was alone in her home right now and would be for at least an hour or more. Her family were celebrating some pointless event at a local dinner which she couldn't recall perhaps due to a genuine lack of interest or simply because she thought the idea was ludicrous.

"Why would you even bother to celebrate a promotion? Surely that's to be expected when you start working from the bottom." To Kirino the idea of promotion was a strange one because ever since she had been a little girl she had always been labelled as the best.

The best in sports whether that was a competitive sport such as soccer or an individual sport such as athletics. She had always beaten records, although in actuality she actually smashed them, whether they had been her own or a previous winner in her district and she had always beaten the male students by some truly embarrassing distance.

Grinning slightly at a recent memory from her sporting exploits, Kirino returned her attention to her laptop which sat next to her pillows and placed it on her desk. She groaned loudly as she noticed the blank screen. It seemed the lap top had timed out while she was considering her problems and as much as she wanted to return to her sister loving world of eroge something stopped her.

"I've always been the best, Sports, academics you name it. So then why am I so upset?" Kirino wondered thoughtfully as she spun on her desk chair in a childlike yet adorable manner. Without even meaning to Kirino began to give her rhetorical question some serious thought this decision further emphasised when she shut the laptop and continued to spin whilst in deep thought.

Truth be told, Kirino has never lacked anything in her life and if she did lack it then she would work her fingers to the bone to attain it. She had wonderful and hilarious friends who, while they knew nothing of her hobby, she trusted explicitly with everything apart from a particular interest of hers, one that she would take to her grave.

Arakagi Ayase was someone who she considered to be her dearest friend, a cheeky yet warm hearted girl who see had been fortunate enough to call her best friend. During school they would always be seen together and talking excitedly about the newest clothing range or there next photo shoot.

They were even fortunate enough to work together as models on various occasions. Kirino being the main attraction whilst Ayase was a close second yet despite this very obvious fact Ayase continued to instigate ways to spend time with her enigmatic and bubbly dark blonde haired friend known as Kirino.

Ayase's friendship was dear to Kirino because without it Kirino believed she would have been nothing more than a pompous and big headed teenage girl with little control over her actions. But Ayase had continued to successfully ground Kirino from such behaviour, going so far as to help her become the mature minded and energetic girl she was now.

Ayase was not her only friend however; another friend of hers was Kurusu Kanako a small yet surprisingly energetic girl whose aspirations greatly matched Kirino's, the aspiration of becoming an idol. However this relationship was rather strained due to Kanako's great dislike of "Otaku's" and while Kanako knew nothing of Kirino's secret hobby that didn't mean Kirino accepted Kanako's unreasonable views on the subject.

Even though Kirino didn't consider herself as someone as disgusting or perverted as an otaku the phrase still affected her somewhat. Her love for anime, manga, and eroge were very important to her and the significant of other half of her life the other half being her friends, and her family which she begrudgingly admitted.

She didn't need nor require any more friends. It was best two have two friends she could trust then to have a group of friends who she was conflicted about. Kirino trusted Kanako and Ayase with everything expect her one burning passion which was not only animes, manga's and eroge's in general but also the obvious theme that ran through them.

With no obvious reason or explanation, Kirino had come to fall in love with a particular genre of romance, sister themed romance. She would spend days on her laptop attempting to complete every single route that was made available to her, every single little sister waiting to have their hearts opened by Kirino's glistening eyes and drooling mouth.

At times Kirino did wish that she had some friends who liked eroge just like she did but unfortunately such a friend either didn't exist or was far too open about their questionable choice in eroge.

'_I mean come on…'_

'_Mother and step son…'_

'_That's just gross.'_

There had also been many times when she had almost joined an online community group called "Anime Girl's Unite" but she had never found the courage to click on the submit button. She would always return to the group however and input her altered information but would never find the courage to click on that frightening button which could unravel her secret to the entire world.

But despite this very fact Kirino felt content with her life. So the pain she was feeling had nothing to do with her sporting reputation, work, friends or her love for eroge. So what the hell was it?

"Hmm? Perhaps it has something to do with my grades? They have been a little lower than usual." And when Kirino says a little lower she means a single mark, or maybe 2 but at a push. She always received the top grades in her class and unsurprisingly the highest marks in her school past and present. A phenomenal achievement to say the least but to Kirino this had to be expected of her, she had made a deal with her father after all.

Modelling in return for excellent grades and she duly delivered. So that couldn't be the issue, nobody had even come close to getting near her grades. She needed to rethink, if it wasn't grades then what could it be? Just thinking about the reason for her pain is seemingly causing her heart to ache even more. Is thinking about why helping at all?

"Oww! Fine. If it isn't my grades then what can it be? This is so stupid; wait could it have something to do with my popularity?" Kirino whispered angrily as the pain began to intensify gradually from a light throbbing sensation to the equivalent of a 400m sprint.

Even as Kirino thought this she immediately dismissed it once again. How could she Kosaka Kirino be anything other than popular? She was admired from both male and female students within school and perhaps even loved affectionately by some poor deluded member of her school.

Girls wished to know more about her, her secrets for looking so beautiful or how she managed to balance her life as a model around the strenuous school timetable whilst boys wanted to have the honour of calling her their girlfriend. Many had tried but all had failed, she didn't want to be labelled as someone's property and she didn't want to be tied down by some unworthy and lecherous male student.

Affection to her was nothing more than desperation. A need to be important or at least significant in someone's eyes, a need to be noticed or appreciated by a single person. Kirino had no time for these people. She had never needed love and she would never yearn for such a laughable emotion as love, besides the only true love she had was her eroge and if that would be her last ever love she would be satisfied by that.

"Ahh! Never mind. This is just giving me a headache. I need some eroge, now" Kirino confessed as she lifted the laptop's lid and waited for her desktop password entry to appear. However despite her previous stance Kirino's mind wandered to one last possibility, an improbable possibility but a possibility none the less.

Family...

Perhaps family might have something to do with her problem. Was she lacking in anything family wise? She had a caring and considerate mother who had supported her through all her decisions. Even the decisions that she was firmly against, Yoshino would always support her and see to both her mental and nutritious well-being.

Then there was her father a tough and unyielding man who always maintained the same ice exterior. Many would call him uncaring, perhaps even aggressive but to Kirino her father was far different than that. It was her father who had allowed Kirino to become a model against his better judgement, and it was because of her father that she felt safe in her own home.

Even despite her neglected treatment, her father would always support her but with a small, unintelligible price so as to maintain his superiority over his family. So it wasn't anything to do with her father or mother…

"Maybe it has something to do with…" But before Kirino could continue her train of thought she heard the sound of the front door being opened followed by the voice of her mouth emanating from downstairs.

"Kirino-chan we're home. Could you come down and help us with the bags" Yoshino asked hopefully ignoring her husband's annoyed expression. The supposed man of the house had attempted to carry a ridiculously large assortment of items into the house only to suffer what appeared to be a trapped nerve in his back.

"Hai, I'm coming" Kirino bellowed as she returned the laptop to her bed and scurried out of her room in the direction of her exhausted mother. Carefully taking a hold of a loose bag, she turned towards the kitchen and deposited the items on the large sofa.

"Thank you dear. I hope we didn't keep you?" Yoshino asked teasingly. Kirino had been spending so much time in her room that her mother had come to the assumption that she was messaging either her boyfriend or someone she hoped would be her boyfriend. The thought of anime, manga, eroge and little sisters never entering her mind as she insinuated something far from her mind.

"Ehh, gross" Kirino spluttered as a romantic image of herself materialized in her mind. Even an image of such an act of affection greatly sickened Kirino and she was, for once, grateful when her father implied his customary greeting in a disinterested tone of voice.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"No, welcome back father." Kirino greeted politely as she returned her attention to her mother and father.

"Welcome home mother"

There was nothing missing in her life Kirino mused as she sat on the sofa watching her father flicker through various channels.

She had all the family she needed in the shape of her mother and father. Who else could be missing from this picture?

She had often wished for a little sister in her life maybe even an older brother but she couldn't do anything about this.

She didn't have a brother. She was a lone child in her family's house and as she thought this she keeled over in pain her heart practically smashing against her ribs as she soughed and spluttered for air.

"Kirino!" Yoshino shouted as she ran towards her daughter who was doubled over in pain. Meanwhile, her husband's usually stoic features broke into a look of concern, as he hurriedly walked towards the kitchen to retrieve a much needed glass of water for his daughter.

Yoshino continued to massage Kirino's lower back as her daughter continued to breathe in an unsettlingly fast and ragged motion. Kirino was on all fours gasping for air, a single though going through her mind as the pain slowly lessened.

'_Baka!'_

'_Baka!'_

'_Baka!'_

'…_Aniki'_

She puzzled this strange and sudden thought. Why was she calling for help? No less calling for a brother who didn't exist? This was making no sense to her. Slowly Kirino sipped on the offered glass of water, taking slight comfort in seeing the concern looks from her mother and most surprisingly her father.

"Arigato…I'm fine, I just need to rest for a while" Kirino murmured as Yoshino led her towards the stairs. Declining further help, Kirino took the stairs groggily one at a time whilst being observed by both of her parents who watched intently fearing she would slip and fall.

But after finally scaling the ominous looking stairs, Kirino's family withdrew to the living room whispering in hushed towns about Kirino's notably decline in health.

Meanwhile, Kirino staggered towards her room but stopped as she turned around and stared at the door situated across from hers. It was the storage room, a room of no significant importance to anyone in the family except for Kirino. It was the place she felt safest, that cold and cluttered room was the one place she could rest and fall asleep peacefully, the one place where the pain no longer existed and the place she visited every single day.

Collecting her covers and laptop, Kirino left her bedroom and walked into her neighbouring room. She was unsurprised to see, that when she entered, the room was full of un-needed or un-essential items that were too important to discard of but not important enough to warrant displaying in clear view.

The room was filled to the brim with large, cumbersome boxes which piled up all the way to the ceiling. A dangerous place to some but to Kirino this room was everything to her. She didn't know why but she felt a strong pull to this room, a string yet un-seen force was drawing her to this unremarkable room. Such a beautiful model had no place in such a filthy and dangerous place, but Kirino would have attacked anyone who spoke ill of this room such was her attachment to it.

This room was her strength but also her place of comfort. Every night Kirino would slip away at the dead of night, when her parents fell asleep, and come to this room. It was the only place she felt comfortable sleeping in, even her own room felt foreign and unwelcoming compared to this clustered room.

So as Kirino settled in against a dusty and worn sheet, which had previously rested atop of numerous boxes, she situated her laptop across from her setting the alarm clock so that she could return to her room and avoid any suspicion from her parents and begun to play a song through her headphones which often helped her fall to sleep when she was upset or in great discomfort,

As the musical notes began to play Kirino felt the tears forcing their way to the front of her eyes. Every night this happened. Every night Kirino would shed tears for a pain she could not identify or fix. Yet this single song managed to shed unwanted tears and lull her into a peaceful sleep.

The notes continued to ring around her ears as the tears slowly became stifled sobs. Kirino was crying, a heart-breaking scene for anyone who knew her. The model who had everything but at the same time had nothing because of one thing, one single thing missing from her life. A thing she did not know and a thing she feared she would never find.

"Where are you? What are you? Why does this hurt do much" Kirino squealed in pain as the music finally lulled her conscious into a state of paralysis. Unknown to her a single image interjected itself into her vision. An image of a tall 17 year old boy, with dark hair and dark coloured eyes.

"Who are you?" Kirino whispers as the image slowly reinforced itself to the back of her mind becoming nothing more than a long distant memory in the process. An image she had seen ever since her birth yet the same image that she could never recall when she woke up.

Who was this boy and why was he so infuriatingly significant to this popular model?

"O…Onii-chan?" Kirino murmured as sleep took a hold of her senses. The music continuing to reverberate around her ears, as did the sole image of a man who would impact her life in more ways than she could possibly imagine.

"Onii-chan…"

* * *

.

.

.

Author Notes: This is a story I've been considering for a while. I didn't know whether to publish it or not because it isn't beta read by myself or my actual beta reader because I thought she may not know the anime of which I'm referring to.

By the way, I am considering making this story a monthly update although if this doesn't seem worthwhile I might decide to make it a one-shot instead and change the ending.

I would love to hear your input and criticism if you have any. I am a deluded writer who one day wants to write original stories far off in the future so any help, criticism or even praise is greatly welcomed.

I have also always wanted to write a; my little sister can't be this cute story and am glad that I've found the time to do so. Admittedly I'm having a little trouble with my others stories but that's not important.

This story will revolve around Kirino and Kyousuke but I won't share anymore. I have a brief idea for this story but nothing detailed so if this story does bomb then at least I wouldn't have spent too much time and energy over it.

I hope you like this chapter and I hope to see you again, any questions or suggestions over this story please don't hesitate to contact me through a private message or review, I look forward to hearing from you :D

Miracles79 signing out

P.S. Apologizes for the rushed work. I wrote this in an around 2 hours and was too exhausted to proof read my writing. It is 1 in the morning after all :P


	2. Chapter 2: Who are you?

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

.

Empty Places 

By Miracles79

.

Chapter 2: Who are you?

.

Disclaimer: The property of Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai does not belong to me, I am merely a fan, the characters and property belong solely to the owner.

* * *

.

.

.

"With more force than (Kira)"

A sudden, familiar, sound permeated through Kirino's ears as she sleepily began to open her eyes. Blinking tiredly, Kirino observed the unmistakeable appearance of the spare room which remained as dark and pitiful as ever. Returning her attention to her laptop, the music continued to liven up her sleepy appearance as she groggily shifted to her knees, rubbing her eyes in an exhausted manner.

"A meteorite (Kira)"

Some of you may have been unfamiliar with the song chosen by Kirino. Then again you may not have been a fan, or even heard, of Stardust Witch Meruru a popular anime show aimed, predominantly, at pre-adolescent children rather than slowly maturing teenagers such as Kirino.

Scratching her head, Kirino continued to listen to the song whilst mimicking the hand movements that would usually accompany it. No matter how many times she heard this song she could never get enough. Just listening to the song was enough to awaken her from slumber no matter how deep or how sleep deprived she felt.

Her enjoyment was short lived however as she suddenly realised a troubling issue. Her headphone cable had disconnected from the computer. So the music she had been listening to for the past minute was not being played through her headphones but rather, aloud to her "Otaku" despising parents who could easily over hear it.

Scrambling towards the computer, Kirino silenced the musical alarm listening carefully for any sound of movement coming from her parents' bedroom. When no sound graced her ears however Kirino took her chance, collecting her laptop, and hurriedly scurried toward the front door, knocking over a couple of boxes in her haste to reach the front door.

Kirino carefully made her way into her room, ignoring the alarming sound the boxes made as they collapsed to the ground, their inner items creating enough noise to wake a drugged rhinoceros. She silently placed her laptop on the computer table; her senses heightened for any sounds of disturbance coming from her parent's room, and tucked herself into bed. An oddly familiar routine for the 14 year old model.

Every single night Kirino would sleep in the neighbouring room, dubbed the storage room, and then be awaken by that beautifully engaging song. Only this time she had made an almost costly mistake, one she would not make again. Not if she wanted to continue sleeping in the storage room which she desperately wanted to do for some strange and unexplained reason. Kirino knew she had to be more careful, she didn't want her parents to interfere like they surely would.

The subtle sounds of footsteps could be heard inching closer and closer to her front door. Kirino, acting on instinct alone, hurriedly pulled the covers over herself and mimicked a deep sleep. It was time for her morning call. Only question was whether it would be her mother, which meant that her parents had not heard the alarming music, or her father who only ever came in when he had to discuss something important.

Thankfully a warm, reassuring voice echoed throughout her bedroom. The mere sound of her mother bringing a relieved smile to Kirino's lips as she promptly pretended to awaken from sleep. "Time to wake up, Kirino-chan. The bath has already been made for you and I put your uniform on a hangar downstairs for when you're ready."

Playing the part of the sleeping princess, Kirino feigned exhaustion, and ignorance, as she turned this way and that sleepily yawning to emphasise that she was still very sleepy despite the previous pounding of her nervous heart. Moving further within Kirino's room, Yoshino spoke once more "Come on dear. Father is already at the table and you know how he is when it comes to meals. He will want to see you before you leave. So come downstairs, have a bath and I will prepare breakfast, okay?" Yoshino informed the sleeping princess.

"I-I'll be right down then. Just give me a second." Kirino murmured sleepily, now rising from the bed as she sleepily stretched out her not so stiff muscles. Yoshino promptly left her daughter's bedroom, at her wish, but not before offering Kirino an appreciative smile. Mindfully pondering its sudden, and unexpected, appearance, Kirino moved across the room, collected her towels and proceeded towards the bathroom downstairs.

After a thoroughly relaxing wash, Kirino entered the living room, her hair still slightly wet, and was unsurprised to see her father already seated at the family table. His usual stern gaze focused on her as she carefully dried her hair and inspected her school uniform for any notable creases or other troublesome issues. However after finding no particular problems of note, Kirino moved across the living room and towards her seat at the table.

Yoshino, meanwhile, was busily occupying herself with preparing breakfast for the family. Kirino, taking a quick glance at the meal, declined the offered breakfast which had been readily prepared by her mother in favour of her usual healthy cereal. It was to be expected; after all, as a model, Kirino was expected to eat far healthier foods over more filling choices which would have been more suitable for a growing 14 year old girl. She never complained however.

Kirino watched as Yoshino carefully placed the hot breakfast on the table, for both herself and her husband, before sitting at her appointed chair which was directly opposite her husband, who merely nodded at the offered breakfast in thanks. And with that the Kousaka family sat down to eat. An uncomfortable silence filling the room only muffled by the frequent turning of pages as Kirino's father read the paper.

It was at this point however, within the growing silence, that Kirino noticed something quite odd. It had happened before and the explanations she had received were always as puzzling as the question was for her parents. But even so why did this always happen? It was such an obvious mistake and yet her parents hadn't seemed to notice, merely content with eating their meals in silence despite the obvious mistake directly across from her.

Feeling the need to reiterate her confusion, she had after all wondered about this again and again without a suitable answer, Kirino took it upon herself to rather rudely note the obvious yet unintended flaw. "Why are there 4 seats at the table?" Kirino emphasised her point by motioning towards the empty chair directly across from her.

Every single time Kirino came down for breakfast, lunch or even dinner she would be welcomed by that empty chair. Surely her parents weren't stupid enough to miscalculate the number of people in the Kousaka family? But even when Kirino pointed out this flaw it never seemed to sink in with her parents because not a day later would the chair be placed directly across from her.

"If I'm not mistaken we're a family of 3, right?" Kirino stated exasperatedly as she continued to swirl her spoon within the confines of her remaining breakfast.

Yoshino and her husband quickly looked up from their breakfast and stared at the intrusive chair before looking at one another in question, perhaps surprised that they had placed a 4th chair at the family table when there was neither need or intent to do so. "I… I'm sorry. I must have placed it there by accident during my cooking routine." Yoshino replied, surprisingly bitterly which was more of a shock for herself than her daughter, as she stood from her chair and removed the supposedly intrusive seat away from the table.

Her parents always seemed to shake this off in a way which conveyed no honesty or even an attempt at understanding their actions. While a 4th chair placed at the table of a family of 3 was not outrageous or even criminal, the constant appearance of the chair had become a tiring sight for the popular model.

To Kirino's surprise however she started to fell a slight pain in her chest. Her eyes seemingly focused on the retreating chair which was being led away by her mother; at Kirino's request no less. But why was her heart hurting again? Why did the pain gradually begin to intensify the further the chair was moved away from her? Why did Kirino feel so drawn to it? It was just a chair for god sake.

Kirino's musings, however, were silenced by her father's booming voice "What have I told you about your manners young lady. I must ask that you be more respectful to your parents." Without responding, Kirino merely gazed at her father who continued to read the newspaper against the absent side of the table.

This was another thing she hated. Had the man no respect? Why did he have to shove his newspaper on… Well to be truthfully honest, Kirino wasn't entirely sure why this angered her so much. Her father was simply reading the newspaper, at the table, like any normal father would be expected to. And when Kirino says expected she means from her experiences of watching Anime's as well as visual novels.

However despite her rising temper, Kirino remained silent. Nothing she could say would even get through to her father anyway. She could apologize or maybe even, if she felt gutsy enough, ask him to remove the paper from the table while they ate but she'd just be wasting her breathe. Her father had already considered this trivial matter as finished.

So, Kirino instead returned her attention to her breakfast in silence her eyes continuing to be drawn to the sole, solitary, chair that sat alone in the corner of the room. Silence promptly re-engulfed the room as the family continued to eat their meals in absolute silence. Yoshino, noticing this evident fact, attempted light conversation with her daughter, this course of action was met with little resistance but it was clear to both that Kirino had other, more pressing matters, on her mind.

After finishing her meal, Kirino thanked her mother and father for their care and wished them an enjoyable day at work. Offering her parents a single kiss on the cheek in farewell as she collected her school uniform and prepared herself for another, uneventful, day at middle school.

* * *

.

.

.

"Kirino!"

The person in question looked towards the sound of the voice, unsurprised to see her close friend Kanako approaching her with her usual, cute, smile. Her friend always seemed to carry an air of superiority over others, the boastful walk doing nothing more than completing her truly adorable appearance. The overly enthusiastic girl was an indispensable friend to Kirino, despite her overwhelming disgust for all things, or beings, who she openly referred to as…

"Err, it's those perverted Otaku's again" Kanako noted as she stared viciously at the small knit group carefully perusing a popular anime website which, incidentally, Kirino was a huge fan of. Mentally shaking off her protective instincts, Kirino replied agreeably "I know right. I-It's disgusting, isn't it?"

Eroge or friendship. It was a common inner battle which often waged within her mind when she so much as noticed her cute bubbly friend. There had been many points in her childhood where she had wanted to protect, or even win over her friends, by putting her eroge over her well-formed friendship. But she never did. How could she risk such a thing? Her friends where everything to her and their importance was weighed evenly with her undying love for all things eroge, as long as they were sister based of course, she wasn't a pervert after all.

"So, what are you doing her Kanako? I thought you would have left by now"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Kanako pointed out raising an eye brow in suspicion ", I had a meeting with the homeroom teacher about my 'attitude towards studying.' So what's your excuse?"

Kanako, for once, was making a good point. It was already the end of school. In fact, it had been well over 30 minutes since the final bell for the day had rung throughout the school building. So why was Kirino still within the school grounds? That was a simple question which had an equally simple answer, one which was very well known by her red haired friend.

However it was not Kanako who would provide the answer, instead it was another friend of hers whose voice ebbed from the hallway. "Let me guess. You didn't want to leave until all your secret admirers had left, hmm?" answered a smiling Aragaki Ayase, who had chosen this precise moment to intentionally interfere for the sake of seeing her dearest friend sport that wonderful blush. Ayase knew her to well. After all, Kirino wasn't the only accomplished model at this school. Her best friend Ayase was also a semi-recognized model.

However Ayase's reputation, while massive in scale, was nothing compared to Kirino's. Her unique look had made her the victim ever since her sudden rise to fame. Flocks of testosterone filled and deluded boys had approached her with sweets words covering lustful eyes. Their intent and purpose far too transparent to a girl who had absolutely no interest in any kind of romantic entanglement. Why would she have any interest in romance in the first place? But despite this very obvious fact, Kirino continued to become the subject of adoration by the male members of the student body and idolized by the female members.

The latter she could handle. She was a role model after all and it was her goal to be admired and even idolized by young beautiful sisters… I mean women. However while she could stand the former group, the latter was a completely different matter. Why did she have to put up with these repulsive boys? Whether good looking, average looking, pompous, anxious, charming, aggressive, desperate, unhygienic or even so depraved as to beg or even blackmail her in an attempt to form a romantic relationship, they were all the same on the inside. Uncaring, sexually driven and vile object of organic material.

Kirino would never look for love or tenderness. She did not need it after all. She had the two things in this world that could keep her happy, her friends and her eroge.

"Yeah, you hit it right on the head. Those idiots just don't know when to quit, do they? It's been 3 months and yet the piles of love letters keep piling up. My bin has become overloaded for god sake; I think I'll have to use a furnace from now on."

After Kirino's words, laughter rang out within the classroom as Ayase and Kanako held onto one another amongst their fits of giggles. Kirino was thoroughly relieved to hear her friends laughing although admittedly it was unintentional. She was being completely honest when she said she wanted to burn the love letters but even so, to see her friends smiling and holding one another in an attempt to remain standing made her lips curl into a pleasant smile.

This was a sight Kirino always wanted to see, the sight of her friends smiling and most importantly happy. Although if this was brought about by her words or actions then she would have to replace happiness with jubilation.

"We-Well… I think enough time has passed. You can now leave safely. In fact, Kanako and I were about to leave also. So we'll tag along with you" Ayase informed cheerfully, a few stray tears being attended to as she spoke.

"Come on Ki-ri-san. Let's go, before you're whisked away by your prince charming." Kanako interjected teasingly, lightly elbowing Kirino in the ribs for emphasis.

"Like that will ever happen… and if I do ever meet such a man… I will deliver a stiff kick to his balls." Kirino stated openly to the two girls who, once again, couldn't contain their fits of giggles as they secretly watched, with admiration and understanding flowing from their gazes, Kirino who had never let that wonderful smile leave her lips.

'_I was being serious, geez…'_

'_Why would I need a prince charming…?'_

'_I'm content enough with my life as it is…'_

'_I do not need or ever want to meet my prince charming, ever.'_

The girls promptly left the school campus. Kirino and Ayase chatting animatedly about their next photo shoot, they hadn't worked together for almost 2 months and in Kirino's mind a far too long wait. Kanako meanwhile placed a mocking look of envy on her adorable face, as she watched her undoubtedly beautiful friends. The glamorous life style on display for her to see yet, steadily moving out of her reach at the same time.

"I wonder where it will be though. We were told to meet at the park by 7 but isn't a shoot at a public path a little… you know, small time." Ayase pondered aloud wanting to get her best friends thoughts on the matter before coming to a conclusion.

"Hmm," Kirino mumbled loudly, carefully considering her friends opinion before answering ", I know what you mean. Probably just a one off or something, I don't really mind. At least the cash is good this time… and have you seen what we'll be wearing, it's to die for." Kirino continued in her usual, animated, enthusiasm.

"I guess you're right. We'll see on Saturday either way."

"Hey! I am here you know. I don't want to hear about your, oh so, glamorous lives." Kanako whined childishly, the loose strands of hair fluttering around her eyes and nose in her efforts to crane her neck towards the slightly taller pair.

In response, Kirino and Ayase merely laughed at Kanako's routine silliness. She always wanted to be the centre of attention, whether it was in a room full of students or a room full of beautifully stunning models. Kanako always wanted the attention placed solely on herself. That was just Kanako's personality, and Kirino wouldn't have had it any other way.

Kirino listened, half-heartedly, to Ayase's response as well as the impending argument the two always had. She was in her own place again, thinking about her life and what made it so great. The two reasons for her wonderful life, who, meanwhile, continued to bicker playfully, were standing by her side where they had always been. Kirino was fortunate after all, she would have been the first to admit that her life exceeded the hopeless dreams of young 14 year olds.

Taking a moment to enjoy this revelation, and the bustling scenery around her, a sudden figure grabbed her attention. Her body became motionless, paralysed as she continued to stare at the young man walking along the jam packed pavement across from her. How did she even notice him in such a crowded area? More so, why did she notice him at all? He was a boy and not only that but someone, she was sure, she had never met before.

So why was her heart attempting to concuss itself against her ribs, why was her body shaking in… fear, surprise, anticipation. What was this feeling that continued to amplify the sounds of her quickening heart beat? Her palms felt sweaty. So, so sweaty and this was further emphasised when the hand holding her bag in place unclasped itself. The bag emptying against the stretch of pavement. Mirror, school books, make up, lipstick and all her other essential supplies littered the floor around her feet.

However the owner made no attempts to rescue her belongings. Instead she simply continued to stare at the retreating figure who seemed unaware of her penetrating stare, his figure becoming smaller and smaller to Kirino's widening eyes.

"Kirino!"

A faint voice. Whose voice was that? It sounded oddly familiar but her brain failed to process its obvious familiarity. Instead a single thought, a single word, continued to reinforce itself within her awakening mind. A word which held no special meaning but yet a word which she had never even felt the need to use, until this very moment.

"Kirino, what's wrong? Oh my god you're shaking. Kanako call an ambulance now. Kirino look at me, do you feel any pain? Anything at all?"

Kirino's vision of the young man became suddenly obstructed by the familiar locks of bluish, brunette, hair and startlingly clear cerulean eyes. It was Ayase. A sight she would have normally welcomed but not today. Not when she was blocking the view of that man.

'_Ayase, get the hell out of my way…'_

'_Why are you blocking me…?'_

'_Why won't you let me see him?'_

Despite her angry thoughts, Kirino attempted to calm herself by staring at her feet. Ayase taking her actions as a sign that she was horrified to see her valuables littered across the pavement for all to see. Acting on instinct, Ayase knelt before Kirino and began to pick up the spinning items with due care.

"It's alright Kirino. I'll pick them…"

"…" Kirino whispered, unheard by the gradually growing crowd which watched her in awe and in equal part, concern. Ayase merely looked up at Kirino who was beginning to clench her fists into a tight ball whilst her body began to shake uncontrollably, her beautifully round, blue, eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears as she looked off in a direction which Ayase could not observe from her crouching position.

"Kirino, are you alright?" Kanako asked, resting a comforting hand against the former's forearm.

"B… Ba… Ba…" Kirino stuttered, her eyes widening and her body shaking as that single word continued to wreak havoc within her mind. Why this unrelated word would come to mind was beyond Kirino but she knew, somehow, she knew that this one word summed up… something. Perhaps her answer to whatever this feeling was deep within her bosom as she continued to stare at the unaware man.

Kirino's eye brows creased, a horrified gasp slipping past her lips and her eyes widened as the man disappeared from view, turning the nearest corner and out of Kirino's sight.

"Ba… Ba… Baka… Baka, Baka, Baka!" Kirino's light voice gradually increased, as did her ragged breathing, until she finally screamed the thought out loud. Startling various passers-by, which included her dearest friends Kanako and Ayase.

"Ki… Kirino, what…" But before Ayase even had the chance to continue, Kirino did something shocking. To the shock and horror of the crowd, Kirino sprinted away like a mad woman possessed barely missing several cars which zoomed violently off course in their desperate attempts to avoid the young girl who had just sprinted through oncoming traffic without a second look.

"Kirino! What are you doing?" Ayase screamed, terrified by her friends actions but more so for her friends life as Kirino instinctively dodged passed several swerving cars in her haste to cross the road. The surprising act did not stop there though. Once Kirino had almost made it to the adjacent pavement, Kirino propelled herself over a parked car, running across its bonnet in her haste to keep her momentum going, and sped off through the startled crowd which parted on sight. The entire street stopping as they watched this homicidal maniac continuing her journey.

Unfortunately, several passers-by had not seen her coming and were forced to the ground by Kirino who tore past people at an alarming rate, her face and eyes showing nothing more than immense determination and overwhelming desperation. For what she was not so sure, but all she knew was that she had to find that guy, whoever he was.

Ayase and Kanako merely stared at one another in confusion, the retreating figure of their closest friend becoming nothing more than a small dot in their sights.

* * *

.

.

.

It had already been several minutes of exhaustive searching for Kirino, and for the moment there had been no sightings since her initial finding. Despite this she continued to search tirelessly for the oddly familiar man but whilst Kirino was a remarkable athlete she was still very much human. The toll of her exhausting run had already taken its toll on Kirino's petite body so much that her efforts had progressed to a slow leisurely pace after the unexpectedly, excruciating, exercise.

Kirino was sure that the man had been heading in this direction, but had she missed him? But a greater and more prominent question was who the hell was he?

'_What's wrong with me…?'_

'_Why am I chasing after some complete stranger…?'_

'_This is ridiculous, what must Kanako and Ayase think of me…?'_

'_I should go back home and figure out some story to cover for this stupid mistake.'_

Despite these thoughts and the finality at which she stated her intentions to return home, Kirino continued to search across the entirety of the local shopping district with not even a slimmer of hope or even success. She did however find a thousand yen, so she wouldn't be going home empty handed after all.

"This is pointless, I'll never find him" Kirino sighed heavily as she pondered this startling news, her expression turning sour and her hands clasping in anger. She wanted to meet him, to talk to him at least. Why? She was not sure but every fibre of Kirino's being was telling her that she mustn't let him go. Not once did Kirino consider her actions odd, such was her devotion towards this flawed and impossible goal.

However, just as Kirino was about to finally give up and return home, her hopeless search finally bared fruit. There he was. Relief engulfed Kirino as she watched the retreating man continue along the slightly crowded pavement before coming to a halt just within Kirino's vision.

A terrifying and almost predatory smile came across Kirino's lips as she carefully approached the unsuspecting man. She was finally going to meet this man, finally going to converse with him. The sounds of the crowds, the traffic becoming nothing but white noise as her heart beat reverberated within her ears. The tension becoming palpable as she shakily made her way closer to the unsuspecting man.

However with only a few steps to go Kirino did something very unlike her. She hid. Her eyes were still focused on the young man yet her usual surplus amounts of confidence had abandoned her. Kirino instead of confronting or even conversing with the man she had followed tirelessly for over an hour hid away from view, using the thick wall nearby as cover. Thankfully the street was largely empty which meant nobody could see the embarrassing predicament she faced or her attempts to calm her ragged breathing.

'_I need to calm down…'_

'_Why am I so terrified…?'_

'_I just wanted to say hi…'_

'_Or maybe even hear his voice, if I could…'_

'_Is that so hard?'_

Finding her inner thoughts unhelpful and distracting, Kirino returned her attention to the man after attempting several breathing exercises to calm her nervous heart. But as she looked back around she was met with a painful sight, her eyes widening in horror whilst a hint of loss flowed between her striking blue eyes.

He was not alone. In fact, He seemed to be conversing with someone who had dark brunette hair, from what she could tell from her vantage point, and a slender figure. Unfortunately the woman's face was obstructed by the man's broad shoulder which left Kirino little choice but to imagine this vile woman's image.

'_Who the hell is she…?'_

'_Is that his girlfriend…?'_

'_Err that makes me… Hey, where are you going?'_

Her musing, however, was instantly cut off as Kirino watched the brunette haired girl forcefully push the young man further down the pavement, a surprised exclamation passing the man's lips as he fought to regain his balance after such an unexpected action. Who the hell does she think she is? You can't just push someone further along the pavement?

The young man, unsurprisingly, seemed slightly annoyed by this aggressive action, at least from what Kirino could tell, after all she could only see their backs, the dark haired girl however merely walked past him, ignoring incomprehensible words, as she motioned for him to follow in the same gesture which was reserved for a common house pet.

'_He's not some dog…'_

'_You can't treat someone like this…'_

'_I swear by the end of today I will make your life a living hell.'_

Despite her inner aggravation towards this outrageous girl, Kirino couldn't help but watch the man forlornly as he patiently walked alongside this brutish girl. Something deep inside of her was hurting as she watched this man. Something was calling for her to simply run into his arms and shed as many tears as was humanly possible. Why she had this inclination? She did not know but oh how she wanted to so badly. Even if the act of hugging a stranger was embarrassing she would have risked it all just to feel this man's arms encasing her body in tender warmth.

Kirino covertly followed the pair at a reasonably safe distance, picking up loose pieces of conversation between the two at intervals. The voices, both of them in fact, sounded horrifyingly familiar as if the simple act of forgetting should be enough to condemn her but still Kirino couldn't, for the life of her, identify the figures by their voice alone, but even so she knew she should know them.

"You perverted sis-con. I told you to meet me here at 5, don't make me wait, Baka!"

"Hai, Hai. I was late by a few minutes. It's not like we had anything important planned today."

Kirino's heart soared at the man's soothing and dream like voice, her stomach performing cartwheels and her lips becoming dry as she listened wordlessly to the voice which had sent her mind into a daze. Who was he?

However before she could truly appreciate the sound of the man's voice, Kirino suddenly remembered the younger girl's words. Her eyes began to narrow in displeasure as each word reinforced itself within her mind, her hatred for the woman only intensifying as she stared daggers at this ungrateful girl.

'_Pervert…'_

'_Sis-con…'_

'_Baka…'_

'_Who the hell do you think you are…'_

'_You ungrateful little bitch…'_

'_He deserves far more respect than that.'_

Kirino's initial dislike of the girl only heightened to a dangerously high level, reserved for perverts and stalkers, as she witnessed this ungrateful brat kick her "brother" in the shins with incredible force and malicious intent. His groans of pain becoming nothing more than an emotional string wrapped around Kirino's heart. However this was not the only emotion that swept her away, at the same time, the sound seemed oddly satisfying but most importantly of all it made her feel noticed.

'_Noticed…?'_

'_I didn't kick him though…'_

'_I mean, no, I would never kick him…'_

'This girl is unbelievable…'

'He deserves so much better, so much more than this sort of treatment.'

Kirino was beginning to grow tired of this girl's aggressive attitude and genuinely uncaring nature. So much so, that she was prepared to defend this boy, who she had never met, if she so much as touched him one more time.

"What do you mean this wasn't important, Baka! You said you'd take me to the anime convention, didn't you? So do your job and take me there, maybe then I'll forgive you" The dark haired girl replied throwing in a few more insults for good measure "Stupid, perverted sis-con. You never do anything right."

'_I swear to god…'_

'_One more time…'_

'_One more and I'll….'_

But then, just as the pair were about to round corner, Kirino stopped, her eyes widening to an impossibly large extent, as she gazed upon a sight she had never expected to see. It wasn't the sudden, yet noticeable, change in the girl's hair that shocked her. The girl's usual dark brunette hair slowly becoming dark blonde as if by magic, each strand becoming tinted, one by one, with the oh so familiar colour.

No, it was not this piece of magical innervation that confounded her. It was the girl's face which greeted her.

"Wh-Wh-What?" Kirino breathlessly murmured as the now blonde haired woman turned her face to look in Kirino's direction, not at her directly but through her, as if Kirino wasn't even there to begin with.

For Kirino it was like looking into a full length mirror because staring back at her, with startlingly familiar eyes, was none other than Kousaka Kirino. Time seemed to slow as Kirino continued to stare, transfixed, by her own mirror image who, she had only just noticed, had her arm wrapped around the young man's arm while his face stared off in a different direction to her own. She never did see that man's face.

The familiar blue eyes stared straight through her as if she was nothing more than an apparition of a long forgotten memory, as if they place she currently stood was nothing more than an empty place (Shameless title plug :P) devoid of life, as well as happiness.

Despite her bodies trembling state, Kirino could do nothing more than simply stare at the other, far happier, Kirino. The latter's content and peaceful expression vastly different from the former's confused and heartbroken features. Content, simply because she had a brother who would do anything for her.

A brother who she secretly loved and held nothing but undying affection for, of the un-sisterly kind of which she had no doubt. Hidden beneath her tough yet fake exterior, she was happy. The other Kirino was happy, something that our Kirino could only look at with envious and pleading eyes.

Then in the blink of an eye the other Kirino and her "brother" vanished from sight, turning the corner as our Kirino stood paralysed by the traumatic emotions which were interconnected to this very moment.

'_Why was I…?'_

'_But I'm I…?'_

'_Wait, where did he go…?'_

'_Where did Onii-chan go?'_

Suddenly Kirino's paralysed body began to move of its own fruition. An unsteady step was followed by her arms and legs breaking her fall to the ground as she attempted to control her trembling limbs and ragged breathing. Thoughts continued to wrap her mind, thoughts that the boy was leaving her. That she would never see that boy again unless she turned that corner.

Such a simple feat but yet, at this present time, a feat which would take all of Kirino's willpower. Steadying herself, Kirino staggered forward unevenly making her way closer towards the corner of the pavement off in the distance. Then, in a moment of desperation and realisation, Kirino sprinted forward, faster than she had ever before in her young life, the thought that she would never see that young man again pulsating through her entire being, spurring her on.

"Onii-chan!" Kirino screamed as she promptly rounded the corner of the pavement, an unexpected scream passing her lips even though she never intended to do so. Perhaps some part of her was desperate enough to call out and scream for her Onii-chan, an Onii-chan which should have never existed.

There was no one there. The long stretch of pavement was empty. Not only that, but to her horror, Kirino realised that the pavement led to a dead end. A single brick wall filling her startled vision as she desperately scanned her vicinity for any sign of the two figures.

Despite the obvious impossibility of the pair materialising out of thin air, on the other side of the road but even then Kirino didn't stop looking. But after several seconds, and shed tears, Kirino was forced to realise the horrible and unavoidable truth. A truth which froze her insides and caused an anguished expression to crease her brow.

There had never been two figures…

There had never been a brother or a sister…

To the casual observer, to which there were thankfully none, Kirino had been covertly following no one…

There was no Onii-chan…

There never had been…

Kirino… was alone.

* * *

.

.

.

Author's Notes: Thank you so much for the reviews, story favourites and story followers. I was so thrilled to see so much support from such wonderful people, so thank you very much.

Your support means so much to me and it is because of your support that I felt the need to return to this story and give you another chapter well before I initially planned to write it. I was going to make this story a monthly update but I may have to re-think that if the reviews etc are this amazing :)

I have also decided to make this a story, although its length is unknown, but the story will be mostly romance, drama and a lil bit of angst which is my forte. I hope you like the story I have planned for you because trust me it will go places and explore the characters to their routes, all of them with the main focus placed solely on Kirino and someone else entirely.

By the way, I was hoping to find a beta reader for this story of mine. Preferably someone with experience in dealing with grammar and the writing structure which, as you may know is often wrong and makes my work a bit of a chore to read considering the long sentences without apostrophes etc. I would ask my wonderful beta reader, of my other stories, but I don't think she knows this anime to well and in either case I feel I have bugged her enough about my other projects considering she has reviewed over 100,000 plus words, give or take.

Well with that out of the way, reviews etc would be gratefully appreciated but not mandatory, so if you simply want to read and enjoy then I take no umbrage with you sir or madam but instead merely thank you for taking the time to read my work.

And yes before you ask, I am British :P

Well I've babbled enough, I hope to update in the near future (Although if I don't update before October 30th then I won't update for a while… Assassin's Creed 3 people :P)

Bye….

Miracles79 signing out


	3. Ch 3: Fractured Mind, Fractured Heart

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

.

Empty Places

By Miracles79

.

Chapter 3: Fractured Mind, Fractured Heart

.

* * *

.

Disclaimer: The property of Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai does not belong to me, I am merely a fan, the characters and property belong solely to the owner.

I would like to thank my awesome Beta Reader,Sypoth Sithicus, who helped make this chapter better than it was initially. And I hope he will continue to edit and improve my work till the stories conclusion.

* * *

.

.

.

"Kirino…"

'_Oh no…'_

'_Not now, it's too early…'_

'_I'm not ready to face them.' _

At the sound of her name, and the familiar voice that spoke it, Kirino froze in place her hand still hovering over the school bag she had just been filling with her text books and pencil case. The school bell had since rung for the end of the lesson and it had been Kirino's wish to silently slip out without being confronted by her, understandably, concerned friends.

She couldn't look at them; she didn't want to face them, not now. It was too soon, far too soon. She didn't want to see their confused gazes, not when she was the one responsible. Why did she react in such an undignified manner? Why did she chase after someone who wasn't there? Why did this have to happen to her?

"Kirino?" the person in question stiffened again, her thoughts silenced in an instant as she suddenly acknowledged her friends hand resting on her shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened on Thursday?" another voice, a voice which could only belong to one person, Aragaki Ayase, Kirino's best and most trusted friend. The tone of concern in Ayase's voice did nothing more than to pull at her already damaged heart strings. What should she do? Escape or reason, flight or fight.

For the past five days Kirino had actively pursued the flight response with varying levels of success. She had attempted to avoid her friends for as long as possible but this was never done out of spite or embarrassment, well maybe a little embarrassment, but in actuality had been done so she could figure out a way to fix this mess she had helped create, through her own uncharacteristic behaviour no less.

There had been many occasions when she had almost been confronted by the pair but during those times she always managed to mumble a feeble excuse, followed by a hasty run, but now the circumstances were different. For Kirino there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and in the time she had avoided her friends she had come up with no explanations for her actions.

All these thoughts and fears culminated in the nervous, slightly trembling, wreck which sat before Kanako and Ayase, her cerulean eyes refusing to make contact with that of her friends. In Kirino's fractured mind she knew what expression their eyes held when they looked at her, fear and pity, two things which Kirino never wanted to see directed at herself. For days she had to shoulder these increasing burdens alone because… she had nobody to turn to, nobody who would willingly offer their help without need for reward or anything more unsavoury.

"Kirino? Why aren't you answering me? Do we mean so little to you? We're your friends, Kirino. We want to help in any way we can." Ayase spoke softly, turning Kirino's chair so as to face her as she gently rubbed the latter's arm reassuringly. But still Kirino avoided eye contact, what could she say to such honesty, such kindness from a friend who had always been by her side through the good times and bad?

'_What should I do…?'_

'_They want an explanation but I have nothing to offer them…'_

'_Think, Kirino, think.' _

Kirino pondered the events of five days ago, wondering if she could use anything from that memory to her advantage, she found no such luck. After all, she had only recently come to the conclusion that her vision of the man and woman had been brought on by the increasingly hot weather combined with her recent lack of sleep. A flawed explanation but one she desperately clutched on to none the less.

However, even to Kirino, that explanation seemed unlikely and it was equally unlikely that Ayase or Kanako would believe her. What normal person would sprint through oncoming traffic, screaming "Baka" because of a slight headache? No she needed to think of something else, something that would win over her friends and allow things to return to the way they were. An untroubled time when Kirino, Ayase and Kanako spent their lives, living life to the fullest without a care in the world for anything but each other.

Kirino, deciding that she had been silent and unresponsive for far too long, tentatively looked up to face her friends, registering their concerned expressions rather than the expected fear which she had been counting on, and finally spoke in an uneven voice

"Gomenasai, I didn't mean for you to see me like that… Gomenasai."

In an instant, Ayase and Kanako came to her side, their protective instincts overcoming their previous concerns. Kanako sat atop of Kirino's desk and clasped the latter's hand, leaning back crossing her legs in a notable air of confidence whilst Ayase moved behind her best friend, placing her hands on Kirino's shoulders in support, the blond model could only smile at her friends actions.

'_Their not afraid of me…'_

'_How could I have ever doubted them for a second…?'_

'_I should have trusted them from the very beginning…'_

'_I won't make that mistake again.'_

"It's okay Kirino. We're here for you, just tell us what happened? Let us help you." Ayase reassured as she finally let go of her best friend and moved to within her eyes sight. Determined blue eyes met concerned cerulean orbs as Kirino nervously looked from Kanako to Ayase, both with looks of determination but with an underlying hint of protective instinct hidden within.

It was at this point that Kirino made her decision. A decision she would never have dreamed of but a decision which needed to be made to ensure their friendship would continue. For the first time in her life, Kirino was going to lie to her friends**.** You may be wondering about the eroge and such but to Kirino these were not lies, her reasoning was that they never asked so she had no reason to tell but now was different. Kirino was going to purposely deceive her friends. She'd never had a reason to do this before, not even about her eroge' or Otaku hobbies, they didn't even know she had them so she never had to lie about that, making this new territory for Kirino.

"I… I…" Kirino stuttered as she watched Ayase and Kanako nod their heads in unison, an act of reassurance that they would be there for Kirino and support her if need be. Mustering all of her remaining courage Kirino spoke "I-I saw an old boyfriend…" Kirino mumbled, her expression dark, but this could not be seen by either of her friends because Kirino was looking directly at her lap where her fingers dug into the fine cotton of her school uniform.

This was all a fabrication. The pained look was very much real but the gesture of emotional pain was a lie, the former boyfriend was a lie. This was all an act, nothing more. An act performed to perfection by the equally perfect Kousaka Kirino, her demeanour screamed innocent, frail and everything that would make a man's heart flutter like crazy but it was all a lie. To Kirino this was nothing more than an act, a painful act, but an act none the less.

"A-a boy…friend. Ki-ri-san… you had a boyfriend?" Kanako spluttered incoherently, the mere thought of Kirino and companionship had never even crossed her mind. But while Kanako sputtered and attempted to soak in this new found information, Ayase merely stared at Kirino her features displaying no hints of surprise or concern, only an identifiable expression which left Kirino even more worried. Had she perhaps raised suspicions or maybe Ayase was disappointed in her?

"Please continue Kirino-san. Why has this… boyfriend… upset you so much?" Ayase asked in a calm, controlled, manner completely indifferent to that of Kanako whose face contorted into a look of shook, confusion you name it. Normally Kirino would have enjoyed this particular expression from the energetic up and coming model but not this time not when it was brought forth by dishonest words spoken by someone who was supposed to be their friend.

However before Kirino could think further she suddenly froze once more. A sudden realisation hitting her as she quickly looked into the eyes of the person who had caused this discomfort. Did she know? Did Ayase know she was lying? How else could you explain Ayase's emphasis when she said the word boyfriend?

"Um," Kirino quickly collected herself and elaborated on her previous statement hoping it would win over her dearest friend. "I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't want the label to know because they might have ruined what we had. But it seems he did that for them. You see… my boyfriend… he dumped me." Kirino, acting the part of the love torn, damsel in distress, was comforted once again by Ayase, the latter seemingly falling for her act as she whispered comforting and soothing words.

Kirino had succeeded. She had deceived her closest friends into believing her lies with an act which would have had Gary Oldman applauding from the rafters for its authenticity. But even though she had succeeded, and made her friends believe the implausible, Kirino was filled with nothing but regret and pain. Why did she have to lie? Why couldn't she just be honest and trust in her friends? The answer was simple. She didn't want to lose them and would strive to keep them with her by any means necessary.

Meanwhile, as Ayase continued to reassure Kirino with a tender caress, her expression remained stoic and unmoving. She had not been deceived as Kirino had expected, after all Ayase was unaware of a previous boyfriend and highly doubted that one could exist without her knowing. Something didn't feel right because while a previous boyfriend was not impossible, the thought of Kirino actively seeking companionship was very much impossible.

Absentmindedly, within this tender moment, Kirino felt many gazes upon her and looking up suddenly noticed the concerned and reassuring looks from the students within the room. All were supporting her in their own way and she had never felt so blessed till this very moment, being comforted by her close friends while other admirers and students offered what little reassurances that they could. Not a snide or hurtful look in sight.

However, before Ayase could voice her concern, she was interrupted by the sounds of the school bell routinely ringing through the classroom signifying the start of the next class followed by the customary greeting from their homeroom teacher as he motioned for the class to take to their seats. Offering a last reassuring smile to her friends, Ayase left towards her seat, a single thought pulsating through her mind.

'_Kirino's lying to me…'_

* * *

.

.

.

It was almost halfway through the lesson when Kirino raised her hand interrupting the teacher's tedious explanation of photons or some such nonsense. The entire class looked at Kirino in confusion; you were never supposed to interrupt the teacher unless it was of the utmost was one of those students who looked up to see the commotion and was shocked by the sight of which graced her, as was the entire class.

Kirino looked very sickly. Her hair becoming increasingly unkempt as the girl in question began to tremble slightly, beads of sweat pouring down her flushed face as she weakly raised her hand to get the teachers attention. The oblivious teacher continued his lesson not realising Kirino's ill disposition and the concerned gazes directed towards her, one of which was Ayase who looked the most concerned of all.

'_What's wrong with Kirino…?'_

'_She was fine a minute ago…?'_

'_So why does she look so ill all of a sudden?' _

Meanwhile, several desks away, Kirino shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was in pain only this time the pain originated not from her chest but from her stomach. A pain brought on by her days of pent up anxiety and a severe lack of food to boot. Her stomach was tightening in on itself; Kirino's feeble attempts to quell the pain resulting in nothing more than pained gasps and feeble commands.

"Stop it, just go away." Kirino feebly murmured in a low tone attempting to ignore the increasing pain in her stomach once more. However, as if the pain in her stomach wasn't enough, the pain in her chest suddenly accelerated. Kirino's vision became increasingly distorted and blurry as she attempted to steady herself as nausea began to overtake her senses.

She needed to get out but she also didn't need to worry her friends any more than she already had so she quickly raised her hand but was halted when a sudden rush of pain stitched through her stomach, a gasp emanating from her mouth as it did so. Kirino could feel the sweat falling down her heated face as well as the trembling of her limbs but she ignored it. She needed to go to the nurse's office; she needed to get better so as not to worry her fellow classmates, her friends, her family, her modelling agency, and her sport coaches. So much responsibility and yet not a single thought which concerned her own well-being.

Gradually more and more students noticed Kirino's obvious discomfort and thrust their hands into the air in an attempt to gain there teachers attention. Protocol be damned Kirino, their idol and most loved member of the school, was in need of help. "Sir… sir…" pupils murmured allowed as they gradually began to increase in both frequency and intensity. The entire class united in their efforts to help Kirino in what little way they can. Eventually, after several raised voices, the class finally managed to gain the attention of the slightly disgruntled homeroom teacher.

Turning to face his students, the home room teacher noticed various hands raised within his usually silent and unresponsive class. Had he not been clear in a certain explanation? Was he perhaps going too fast? But before he could continue along this train of thought he heard a faint yet pained voice coming from his star pupil.

"Sensei… could I be excused? I need to go the nurse's office. It's nothing serious I assure you but I would like to get it checked out none the less." Kirino murmured.

The homeroom teacher nodded his approval and allowed Kirino to leave the class, rather unsteadily he might add, but she seemed able none the less. Ayase, as well as the entire class, watched Kirino leave as a noticeable expression of concern and worry etched upon her features as she watched the strawberry blonde's progress.

'_Something's wrong…'_

'_Very wrong.'_

* * *

.

.

.

It was the end of the school day, and after her brief visit to the nurse's office, Kirino was walking back towards her home, alone. She was feeling a lot better now and while the nurse couldn't be a hundred per cent sure she believed her illness to be nothing more than fatigue combined with a severe lack of food. Precisely what Kirino had believed it was, moments before in the classroom. The pain and discomfort were gone, a rare moment of peace and quiet in her otherwise chaotic and often troubling life.

'_Why am I always in pain…?'_

'_Why me…?'_

'_What have I done to deserve this?'_

Pondering this thought, Kirino continued along the familiar path towards her house, successfully navigating her way through shifty looking men who gazed at her with lustful and longing eyes, so a usual walk home by all accounts. Sighing slightly as she realised the truth behind this unsettling thought, Kirino instead pondered on how Ayase and Kanako had taken her deceitful confession.

To be honest, Kirino usually took this path back home alongside Kanako and Ayase, or at least with Ayase, but today she had been the unfortunate victim of after school activities. Her friends seemingly occupied with their own clubs and had therefore had been unable to accompany Kirino down the familiar roads and unfamiliar groups of people.

Continuing to ignore the less than civil looks that she had been receiving, Kirino increased her pace and went further into the thankfully crowded district. Before heading home, Kirino needed to pick up a few items. Nothing special just the usual, make up, perfume, jewellery, and other equally beautiful and expensive, accessories. Her fingers twitched in anticipation as she walked past the anime and eroge store which she has successfully avoided like the plague for the last fourteen years. She wasn't stupid enough to go inside of course, even though she desperately wanted to; she would be easily identified due to her heightened reputation and model like status.

But before she had passed the store completely her eyes suddenly darted towards a figure within. Kirino stopped in place, halting the progress of various shoppers who passed by her with disgruntled looks and low murmurs, ignoring this Kirino inched closer towards the glass as she carefully inspected the unsuspecting individual who was calmly looking through a manga with a notable eye brow raised towards its apparently ludicrous content and laughable moe qualities.

Realising her questionable behaviour, Kirino stepped back from the glass, several onlookers watching her with clear looks of confusion etched upon their faces. It seemed Kirino was right, she could be easily identified by just one look, in some ways her fame had been her downfall and it was the one thing she greatly despised about her modelling career. She had hoped to be nothing more than a faintly recognizable face, someone who could float in and out of a crowd without being seen but of course that was impossible for someone as cute, and unique, as Kirino undoubtedly was.

Maintaining her cool demeanour, Kirino walked to a nearby park bench and continued to look through the window towards the figure who was perusing the stores wares without a care in the world. The figure in question was that of a petite girl, perhaps slightly older than herself, whose fashion sense left a lot to be desired because the figure wore clothes that Kirino could only best describe as gothic Lolita.

The figure was dressed in a white frilly top hidden behind a black bolero which was worn over the top, a passable black skirt which hugged her hips quite effectively, with cross-shaped detail, and a black Mary Jane's gray stocking to finish off this rather unsettling ensemble. A die hard Otaku no doubt but yet a person who had the courage and conviction to show the world that she did not hide away from the things she loved. Someone Kirino could truly appreciate.

For Kirino the smaller girl's conviction was something that she could truly respect. Pangs of jealousy coursed rang through her mind over how unfair it was that this girl could express herself so freely while she had to live under a gilded cage of scrutiny. But she knew, she could never keep her friendship with Ayase and Kanako if her Otaku hobbies were to be exposed to Freedom of expression was something Kirino truly believed in but at the same time something she could never commit to because of the uncertain path that it would lead to.

However it was not for this reason that Kirino was watching her. For some strange reason Kirino felt like she had seen this girl before, perhaps even talked to her but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't fit the pieces together. Kirino's frustrations were beginning to reach a boiling point; after all this was the second time something strange had happened to her in the span of five days. Yet another familiar figure who she had never met**,** contradiction after contradiction and Kirino was sick of it.

'_Why me…?'_

'_Why do I have to go through this…?'_

'_I know what will happen if I follow her…'_

'_She'll disappear, won't she?' _

Kirino sat for ten more minutes, watching the smaller girl with a dark expression. Meanwhile the petite girl was casually looking through manga after manga with different and less clearly displayed expressions crossing her features as she carefully evaluated them all, before selecting a few which she seemed relatively interested in and making her way towards the register.

Noticing this sudden movement, Kirino stood from the bench and hurriedly moved out of range so that she couldn't be seen by the smaller girl. However, despite her previous intentions, Kirino still watched as the girl paid for the manga's, which were being wrapped in a secure company themed bag, and promptly left the store without a single farewell.

Moving slightly into view, Kirino followed the figures path making sure she was not suspicious to either her target or the people walking around her. Whilst she kept a close tab on the smaller girl, one thought repeated in her mind, a thought which acted as her mantra the closer she moved towards her target.

'_I won't let you escape this time.'_

And with that thought in mind, Kirino sprinted towards the unsuspecting girl, tearing through various passers-by who unintentionally blocked the way of her pursuit towards her target. Effectively manoeuvring around the clueless bystanders as she finally reached the smaller girl before grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around to look her in the eye. The smaller girl's bag collapsing to the ground, its contents sprawled across the pavement for the eyes of suspicious onlooker to see.

The smaller girl looked at Kirino in momentary shock as she was twirled around without reason or explanation. Her body almost falling to the ground such was Kirino's haste to reach this strangely familiar person. Kirino, acting instinctively, grabbed a hold of the smaller girl's shoulders and, shouted the questions that she desperately wanted answers for.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

The words which passed Kirino's lips were not thought or even spoken by her; instead her lips seemed to move of their own accord without her approval. She was confused, why did she say such a thing? The forceful statement was perplexing for her and notably calm look from the smaller girl did nothing more than to confuse the renowned model.

To Kirino's surprise, however, the small girl merely smirked, red eyes purposely piercing Kirino with pure malice and absolute hatred. Fear engulfed Kirino as the girl's previously calm disposition contorted into rage. The smaller girl grabbing the same wrist that held her shoulders, her fingers tightening with enough force that Kirino couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp of pain as she recoiled from the unexpected attack.

"You…" the girl snarled facing Kirino with a demonic look. The rising fear in Kirino evolved into something far more primal as she stared at the angry eyes which effectively pierced her own. Confusion, fear, trepidation… all these emotions filled Kirino as she stared, transfixed, by the figure that slowly moved closer towards the strawberry blonde.

"How dare you show your face to me?" she snarled once more as she approached Kirino, grabbing a hold of her wrist firmly while attempting to transfer her inner turmoil into physical pain. The crowd gasped at the unexpected action as well as the terrified look which graced Kirino's beautiful features**.** Without a moment's hesitation, Kirino was forced further and further back by the smaller, supposedly weaker, girl. Kirino offered little resistance; such was the terror she felt while in the presence of this previously cute, calm and collected Otaku.

Kirino's progress was suddenly halted as she was forced against a nearby wall, effectively cornered by the raging girl who still stood before her. Blood red eyes piercing through ocean blue orbs with an intensity which could not be matched. Despite the fear she felt, Kirino couldn't help but wonder who she was and how she seemed to know the girl without having met her.

'_Who is she…?'_

'_Why is she doing this…?'_

'_Why is she so angry with me?' _

"Haven't you done enough? Haven't you caused us enough grief already?" the girl whispered forlornly, the first hint of pain, weakness even, coming to the surface since they had met. She was in pain, it was clear to see from her shaking limbs and glistening eyes and Kirino saw it all. Why was she in pain? Didn't she attack without any reason to do so?

"What are you talking about? I don't know who you are, g-get off me." Kirino voiced angrily shaking the smaller girl off her so that she could face her attacker at an even ground. She staggered slightly out of the smaller girl's grip, rubbing her wrists with a notable grimace, and her attacker let her escape without retaliation. The figure merely glared at the wall where Kirino had once been held, anger and hatred seething from the smaller girl's entire being.

"Why are you here? After everything you've done, how could you show your face to me?" the figure continued, her head bowed, not talking directly to Kirino but at the wall once more. A creepy sight but a far more perplexing one in Kirino's eyes, not only was she perplexed by her actions but by her words as well. What was she talking about? She had never met this crazy Otaku until tonight, so why was she being accused of something that she could not have been a part of.

Anger engulfed Kirino once more, her fingers clenching painfully against her palm as she spoke once more "What are you talking about? I've never met you before. Are you crazy or something?" Kirino's angry glare never left the smaller girl's trembling body, but before she could register the sudden change, the smaller girl whipped around and stormed towards her.

"Don't you dare! You don't get to feign ignorance and pretend that I don't exist. You know who I am and I know what you did." The smaller girl retorted, her petite figure tensing in anger as she matched Kirino's glare with her own, neither girl was prepared to back down from the silent challenge and the crowd around them continued to watch in intrigue and concern, less for the ousted and vile Otaku but more for their recognized idol, Kousaka Kirino.

"What I did? What are you talking about?" Kirino asked exasperatedly. She was tired of all the cryptic words and the uninformative nature of the petite Otaku who merely stared at her in a moment of confusion which was quickly sealed in a revelation of understanding.

"What you did? You caused all of this," the smaller girl's expression of anger was momentarily consumed by hurt, anger and regret before returning to its previous state. "Others may pretend, feign ignorance or maybe even comfort you in the hopes that you will never remember but not me! Your family, your friends, they all know what you did! What kind of person you really are but instead of acting appropriately they opted to protect you."

Kirino's eyes widened, blurry visions coming to the forefront of her mind. Emotions laced with un-clear and foggy pictures which seemed so familiar and yet so unbearably painful. The pain and anguish of these unclear memories consumed her; the soaring ache in her heart increasing tenfold as she merely stared at the smaller girl's forlorn expression with her own pained one.

She couldn't utter a single word, a single defence. Something within her was holding her back as if some part of her felt she deserved this unsettling treatment, that she deserved the hurtful words and disappointed gaze. The pain was wracking her body; Kirino heard the sudden shocked gasps as Kirino breathlessly clutched her chest**,** falling to her knees as Kirino looked up at the unmoved, uncaring, petite girl. Excruciating pain crippling her immobile body as she was forced to listen to whatever the girl had to say.

"They protected you? How could they be so lenient, be so blind? What you did was unforgivable! How could they just protect you? After you… you…"

In an unexpected moment, Kirino saw droplets**,** like rain falling to the ground watching the droplets land and evaporate from the otherwise dry sidewalk she instinctively looked up, tentatively, and was horrified by the sight which graced her. The petite girl was in a flood of tears, tears which were being hastily attended to by her trembling fingers that attempted to lessen their master's unbearable pain.

Increased resentment of her own being overwhelmed Kirino, for seeing this Otaku in discomfort, in tears no less, didn't sit right with her. She didn't know this person but all she could feel was regret. She wanted to do something, to perhaps even go so far as to console the trembling girl but something stopped her. Perhaps it was the excruciating pain which continued to cripple her or maybe it was the silent voice which told her to stay away. Whatever it was Kirino merely remained kneeling, watching the poor Otaku feebly clean her tear stained cheeks with the cuffs on her bolero.

"You're a monster… He gave you everything. He sacrificed so much for you and what did he receive for such kindness? Nothing! Nothing but your dishonesty and continued ill treatment! He loved you…" Kuroneko gasped out unable to hold back her sobs. Turning away from Kirino, who had lost all her strength and had fallen to her knees in a near catatonic state, Kuroneko steeled herself before continuing with tear stained eyes and a hitch in her voice.

"He loved you… when you had no right to be loved in such a way, even when I confessed my love to him he only ever thought about you. It was always you…"

Silence greeted these words; the crowd around them seemed to fade into a haze as the world dropped away leaving only the two of them. The only people in this dark world, highlighted by strands of light, were Kousaka Kirino and Gokou Ruri.

"It's all your fault. All the lies, this incomplete world. It's all your fault. He gave you everything and even that wasn't enough. The one thing he asked of you, the one thing he required of you and you ignored him. He needed you but you never listened. This is all your fault."

Kirino felt a cold chill run down her body freezing her to the core as the girl before her struggled in visible grief and anger as she was finally able to scream out in an anguished voice a horrifying truth.

...

...

"You're the reason he's dead!"

* * *

.

.

.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

In the silent and peaceful night, a terrified scream emanated from Kirino's quivering lips as she bolted from the blankets that she had been using as a duvet cover. In a moment of panic, she quickly surveyed her surroundings; the beating of her heart seemed to scream off the walls as she clutched the blanket tightly between her white knuckles. She was surprised to see the familiar cluster of the storage room displayed within her vision. She was home, it had all been a terrible, terrible dream, it never happened.

Upon that realisation, Kirino's eyes immediately flooded with tears which trailed down her face without any attempt at interrupting its progress. In a moment of inner turmoil, she shakily muffled her sobs with trembling hands before an uncontrollable frustration of grief overcame her and she started kicking out violently in a fit of rage. Unfortunately for Kirino her foot had made contact with one of the lower boxes resulting in the towering boxes cascading not to the floor but onto Kirino herself.

Bracing for impact, Kirino Covered her head as the boxes collapsed on top of her trapping her underneath the pile of surprisingly large, and heavy, items. Her forehead and body now throbbing immensely, from several newly formed cuts and bruises on her body. She was about to complain about the unfairness of her current predicament when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

There was something nestled far behind several boxes, on the plain wooden surface, out of view for all to see at a single glance but Kirino saw it. Suddenly and without warning, an uncontrollable trembling overcame her senses as a silent terror filled her and a cold sweat broke out over her body as the absolute horror of the image before her began to become clearer and clearer.

Nestled behind the row of obstructive boxes was the body of a young man. A young man with black hair, hair which reached down to his nape while his fringe was swept aside on both sides of his face, a single lock of hair left hanging by the middle of his forehead. He wore simple and casual clothes, a shirt and slacks completing the terrifyingly familiar ensemble.

But what terrified Kirino most of all were his eyes, dark and empty eyes which were filled with not a single sign or spark of life… as if the young man was already dead. His soulless eyes pierced Kirino's cerulean orbs as she could merely look horrified and broken by the unpleasant sight.

The man was dead.

Screaming as she helplessly stared into his cold lifeless eyes that seemed to draw her in desperation began to take hold of Kirino, lurching outward to desperately try and reach the figure but, in a momentary blink, the body vanished from sight as if he had never been there in the first place. Blinking several times, Kirino gazed transfixed by the place the man had been, and using the last remaining strength she had, Kirino crawled towards where she saw the haunting apparition. She continued, struggling through the debris of unmovable boxes, as well as, pieces of broken glass which had scattered from broken objects within the fallen boxes. She crawled closer to the place where her heart had stopped and yet the same place where her heart had always used to quicken.

Before Kirino could register what had happened she heard thundering footsteps storming their way towards the door. Making no effort to move or even hide, Kirino merely returned her attention to the absent space; finally moving freely as she unsteadily walked towards her intend target, kneeling, her hands rested upon the place where the man's heart would have been, should have been.

The door to the storage room burst open, Kirino's father almost knocking the door off its hinges with her mother anxiously behind him, both in a hurry to locate their screaming daughter. But as they took in the sight before them they froze at the foot of the door, Kirino's father and mother watching in pained realisation as they observed their beautiful daughter wistfully stroke the floor board where…

A look of horror washed over their faces**. **Silently observing as Kirino tenderly stroked the seemingly important floorboard, without acknowledging her parents sudden intrusion. A single thought flowed through their minds in unison, that their greatest nightmare had come to pass heralding a day they had struggled and wished would never come. But they had failed.

'_She knows….'_

* * *

.

.

.

**Author's Notes:**

I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter as always and I must thank Sypoth Sithicus who I am fortunate enough to call my beta reader for this story. He definitely improved this chapter and I can't thank him enough for his helpful suggestions and his effective alterations which helped the story flow all the more better.

I must also inform my readers that I have a new poll on my profile page which concerns **which story will become my main story. **Whichever story you choose will have my undivided attention and will be updated more frequently than the others. This is so I can please the majority of my readers who may prefer a certain story over another. So if you have the time let your opinion be heard because the poll has, for now, shown some quite surprising results with 3 stories currently neck and neck.

I will unfortunately be unable to update this story for a little while due to my laptop's current and pro longed repair and an upcoming commitment which will have to take precedent over my writing for a short while (Weeks maybe even a month)

I would like to draw your attention to a song which brought about Empty Places, without it I would never have thought of this concept and the forthcoming revelations which will hopefully surprise and shock you; the song is called "Black Rain" by Keane. I want to give credit where credit is due because without this song Empty Places wouldn't have existed. You may find this connection odd but most of my stories are thought up through music where I can simply let the emotions of a song dictate events in my head. Strange and unusual I know but nevertheless effective.

I would also like to thank the Fan Fic reader who suggested reading the visual novel "Kana's Little Sister" which was fantastic research material and had an amazing story to boot. I would highly advise people to read it because the story really is something special and you will feel emotionally invested in the characters, and it's story is only surpassed by Clannad for the everlasting affect it's had on me.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed my work and will offer a little bit of your insight, support, or criticism which has been amazingly overwhelming. Can't thank you guys enough for your continued support but remember reviews etc are not mandatory but I hope you enjoyed my story none the less.

All the best, Miracles 79 signing out


	4. Chapter 4: The End of a Beginning

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

.

Empty Places

By Miracles79

.

Chapter 4: The End of a Beginning 

.

* * *

.

Disclaimer: The property of Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai does not belong to me, I am merely a fan, the characters and property belong solely to the owner.

I would like to thank my awesome Beta Reader, Sypoth Sithicus, who helped make this chapter better than it was initially. And I hope he will continue to edit and improve my work till the stories conclusion**.**

**.**

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

"K-Kirino…"

A shaky yet subtle voice cut through the tense atmosphere as Kirino's parents could do nothing more than watch their beloved daughter stare at… well, for the senior members of the Kousaka family, the sight was too much too bear. So much pain, anger and fear had been left in this room. A pain which had been hidden away, an anger which had been overcome and a fear which had taunted them every single waking day of their lives, ever since…

This was too much, and the first signs of strain came from Kirino's mother, Yoshino, who, whilst watching her daughter through horrified eyes, leaned against the nearby wall, her head cradled within her hands, as the first bout of tears cascaded down her unblemished cheeks.

But Kirino didn't see her mother's broken state, didn't hear her father's questioning voice, all she saw was the image of a handsome young man. An oddly familiar image which had been engraved upon her mind for so long and yet, at the same time, an image which was as new to her as a stranger's presence. And whilst Kirino, admittedly, did not know the man, the feelings which accompanied his image felt familiar and yet strangely foreign.

With the image came a strange feeling of safety and security. A familiar feeling which she had only ever experienced when in the presence of her family, most especially her father who was a trained police veteran and would protect Kirino with every fibre of his being, if need be. But even so, Kirino secretly treasured the warmth and security that she received from her family, as well as the safety and comfort that she felt when she was gently wrapped in their warm arms.

That was not all however because as Kirino envisioned this man an unmistakeable feeling of trust flowed through her. She trusted him explicitly, so completely in fact that itwas slightly overwhelming for Kirino, her breathe deepening due to the bitter sweet feeling that was beginning to engulf both her mind and body.

However, while all these feelings were familiar to Kirino, and could be easily categorized, another unfamiliar sensation was starting to make its self-apparent. A subtle yet intense warmth was spreading throughout her body, a warmth not of the sexual kind, but of something far more intimate, an indescribable longing that would last forever. A complex emotion which had a simple and unsurprisingly common name,love.

But despite these intoxicating feelings one stood out amongst the rest, a crippling sensation that filled the pit of her stomach with deep despair, longing and sense of loss. Whoever this man was, he was gone. She did not know how or why but she knew. Somehow she knew and this knowledge did nothing more than to eat away at her as stray voices echoed throughout her mind.

"**You're a monster… He gave you everything!"**

"**This is all your fault…"**

"**YOU'RE THE REASON HE'S DEAD!" **

"Kirino?"

'_That voice…?'_

'_It's not like those other voices…'_

'_Kirino…?'_

'_What does that mea…?'_

'_Wait, that's m-my name.'_

…

"Kirino?"

Suddenly Kirino's vision returned to her, to the confines of the storage room, the man's image disappearing for the moment as she observed the floorboard which she had been stroking, tenderly, with her fingers. Surprised by this surprisingly forlorn action, Kirino shakily straightened up and raised her hands to eye level. Her fingertips seemed to burn with a strangely warm and pleasant tingle despite the freezing temperature within the room.

"Are you…Kirino?"

It was that voice again, distant yet distinctly audible nonetheless. Suddenly registering the voices proximity, and the uncomfortable feeling of being watched, Kirino turned to face the intruders of such a personal and private moment. The movement was unsteady and a muffled gasp echoed around the room as Yoshino and her husband took in their daughter's appearance.

The living dead would have adequately described her pensive expression. Her tear stained cheeks; matted hair and anguished expression were the only things which could be seen. But it was one particular feature which terrified her parents most of all, her eyes. Those eyes which contained none of their previous glee, curiosity or even a flicker of life, eyes which Kirino had seen moments before her parents untimely arrival, and the sight shook her parents to the core, in much the same way it had affected Kirino earlier.

Stepping forward, Kirino's father slowly walked towards her daughter whose eyes were blinded by her own anguish and despair. She didn't register her mother's muffled cries of horror, her father's anxious movements or even the sounds of the birds chirping outside the window. There was nothing, the world had completely fallen away as the all-consuming and omnipresent darkness embraced her with sinister intent, bringing with it all its chilling terror and anguished fears. But for Kirino, the most painful thing of all was the feeling of abandonment; she couldn't explain it, because no matter how many people were around her, she was alone.

"Kirino?"

And once again Kirino's vision returned to the cramped storage room, her head swimming from the frequent changes in location. Her attention gradually shifted to the hand which was resting on her shoulder, looking further up the length of the arm she noticed that the hand belonged to her father who was attempting to remain calm despite the obvious strain it was causing. Seeing her father seemed to help calm her nerves slightly as she stared into her father's eyes which held a reassuring sparkle within them.

He didn't say anything but then again he didn't have to because Kirino already knew. She knew that her father would be there for her, he may be an incredibly stern father and at times, seemingly, uncaring but when it came to moments like these Kirino knew her father would be there for her, when she needed him most.

Anxiously, Yoshino moved towards Kirino and pulled her into a sustained embrace which Kirino never even considered leaving. It was obvious now, there could be no mistaking or denying the palpable tension within the room… something terrible had happened. Not only had something terrible happened but Kirino didn't seem to have any recollection of it.

Suddenly and without warning Kirino started coughing frantically, her breathing pattern quickening as she struggled and gasped for breath. Acting on impulse Kirino's father, Daisuke, hurriedly comforted her daughter and talked her through several breathing techniques which were designed to calm people who were most likely suffering from an anxiety attack.

Yoshino meanwhile remained calm and mimicked the same breathing motions that her husband was performing so that Kirino, who was beginning to lose control, would have a better visual aid as she turned this way and that in obvious discomfort. Keeping Kirino upright, Yoshino shared a concerned gaze with her husband which the latter avoided at the first sign of contact.

Thankfully, it seemed Daisuke's years of thorough police training had finally been worth it as Kirino's breathing slowly began to return to normal, Kirino's father carefully watching his daughter perform the breathing technique correctly, while his wife allowed a greatly weakened Kirino to lean against her as she calmly rubbed her back in a repetitious and calming motion.

"Kirino, listen to me… We need to get you to a hospital," noticing Kirino's raised eye brow and exasperated look, Daisuke elaborated ", you might have suffered an anxiety attack and for all we know another one might be on the way. We need to be absolutely sure. I'm not losing…" then suddenly to Kirino's surprise her father hurriedly stopped talking, his mouth hanging open, as he looked around the room nervously his eyes reddening ever so slightly.

"What were you about to say, otosan? 'I'm not losing' what?" Kirino mumbled as she looked at one parents and then the other, noticing the damning silence which permeated the air around them. Kirino felt her mother's hand shake slightly as they continued to hold her but it was her father's expression which worried Kirino most. In all her life Kirino could not remember the last time her father had looked so disheartened, as he seemed to share a silent conversation with his wife.

"I… I think it's time." Daisuke spoke in finality as Yoshino merely nodded her head in understanding, her lips quivering slightly as she prepared to reveal the unfortunate truth. However, before Yoshino could utter a single word, Daisuke slowly got to his feet and walked towards the nearby window. Kirino watched her father's progress curiously as moonlight seemed to effortlessly wrap around her father who was busily staring into the neighbourhood, never turning back to face his daughter.

"It's time? Time for what, otosan?" Kirino asked, her anxiety beginning to spike again as she heard her mother muffle another sob from passing her lips. Whatever she was about to hear would surely be painful but she needed to know what had happened. She needed to know who that boy was and why he was so significant. But most importantly of all she wanted to know what connected them so strongly.

After several moments of complete and utter silence, Daisuke nervously cleared his throat and faced Kirino "I'm sure you know what happened here, in this very room?" Daisuke asked dejectedly as he looked around the confines of this shabby and cramped storage room.

Kirino's confusion amplified, she did not know what her father was referring to. What happened here? Surely it had something to do with that boy but in what way. Confusion conformed to worry as she watched her father's gaze shift to his feet, knowing full well that he was avoiding eye contact. Whatever happened, it clearly affected her parents greatly but what could have happened to make such a change in her father?

Opting to voice her confusion, Kirino replied "What happened? Has it got something to do with that boy?" Kirino looked nervously from her mother then to her father as she spoke, hoping to catch the truth from their momentary reactions, in case they thought of lying to her.

This was it. After several weeks of pained confusion, of following illusions of people who didn't exist and an image of a man so impossibly familiar; she was going to get answers. Confusion would be replaced with knowledge, whether that knowledge would be worth it… well, she would find out shortly and be forced to bear the consequences.

However, to Kirino's surprise, her father's face contorted into a look of confusion, his eye brows creasing as he quickly looked back up towards Kirino. "What do you mean? 'That boy?'" Daisuke asked a hint of curiosity laced within his words. Kirino looked up as her father watched her carefully; his hands shifting into his pockets as he leaned against the frame of the window.

"Umm," Kirino muttered as she attempted to answer a question which she didn't know the answer too, it also didn't help that both her parents were eyeing her as if she was about to spill some monstrous secret. ", so it didn't involve a boy then? It's just… I thought it did?" Kirino finished lamely as she noticed her parents look at each other, completely ignoring her for reasons unknown.

Finally finished with their silent conversation, Yoshino turned Kirino to face her and asked "Kirino, this boy you mentioned… Do you know him? Does he seem familiar to you?" Yoshino asked gently yet directly as her stare threatened to penetrate Kirino's ocean blue eyes. Taken aback by the intensity of her mother's stare, Kirino attempted to look away but was halted when her mother's hands cupped both cheeks.

"Kirino, answer me… what did you mean by 'that boy'" Yoshino stated firmly as her husband quietly watched them, curious o find out the reason why Kirino would refer to him as simply that boy.

"Eh, he… he seemed familiar but for some reason I… I don't know who he is? All I know is he's important to me and that something terrible must have happened to him." Kirino stated defiantly, for some reason Kirino felt an urgent need to state how important their bond was. Such a strange thing, to put so much faith in a bond which she had never experienced and yet it was the one true thing that she believed in, that she clung to.

As soon as Kirino had uttered those words, Daisuke moved closer to Kirino kneeling at her side as he spoke once more "But you don't actually know who this person is, right? Is that what you're saying? Kirino listen to me carefully… Do you know this boy's name?" Daisuke sounded far more forceful than before, much like his old self, as if he was clutching on to a faint yet very real hope and his change of attitude simply bewildered Kirino.

"N-name. I don't… I don't know his name? But I know he's important to me. Please, otosan, okasan, who is he? Why won't you tell me?" Kirino asked desperately as she watched her parents stare at one another, in deep thought, once again. Kirino's patience was wearing thin and it was only further exasperated when her father stood up and pulled Yoshino to her feet, but not before Yoshino had carefully moved Kirino away from her, so that she could stand up.

Kirino stared up at her parents who seemed… was it relieved. Why would they be relieved, none of this was making any sense? Meanwhile, her father looked away from his wife and faced Kirino stating simply "Kirino, we'll just be a minute. Don't move, your mother and I need to talk." And with that they hurriedly left the storage room, leaving Kirino alone in silence.

* * *

.

.

.

After several second of deliberation, Kirino inched towards the door, where silent yet faintly distinguishable voices could be heard further in. Tentatively placing her ears to the door, Kirino attempted to listen to her parents "Secret" conversation. Despite the muffled voices she was able to discern a few words coming from her parents but the majority of their conversation could not be heard by Kirino, at least for now.

"Are you sure about this?"

That voice was unmistakeably her mother's but as to what the topic concerned Kirino hadn't the faintest. Readjusting herself Kirino listened in once again.

"Of course I am. Don't you see, she doesn't actually remember anything? You remember what they said at the hospital… 'She might recall small pieces of memory but the chances of a full recovery are highly unlikely'."

'_Hospital…?'_

'_What are they talking about…?'_

'_And what was that about memory…?'_

'_I couldn't hear, dammit.'_

"Of course I remember what the doctor said Daisuke but what if her mind is unravelling? What if she remembers everything that happened? If that's the case… wouldn't it be better if she heard the truth from us, her parents?"

"Yoshino, you're being hysterical. Kirino doesn't remember a damn thing about what happened and you want to tell her everything. Do you really think that's wise? You know what happened last time; can we really risk losing another child?"

'_Another… child…?'_

'_W-w-what…?'_

'_What are they talking about…?'_

'_I'm an only child… aren't I?'_

"Don't you dare, don't you dare use Kyousuke to strengthen your argument, you can't justify this! Daisuke, please I want this to end, I just want my family back, whatever's left of it. No more lies, no more deceptions, I just want my family back again."

'_Kyousuke…'_

'_Kyousuke…'_

'_Kyousuke…'_

'_That name seems so familiar and it feels…'_

'_Just the thought of that name makes my heart race…'_

'_What's happening to me?' _

"And our family will be together again. Don't you understand Yoshino? I'm doing this for us, for Kirino. She doesn't need to remember, it's all in the past now and can't be undone… No matter how badly I wish it could be. She had such a life ahead of her and I won't deny her that. Let her live a life without misery and heartache because if you tell her… then we'll lose another child."

To Kirino's surprise she heard a pained sob leave her mother's lips followed by her father's frantic footsteps as he rushed to console her. For several seconds Kirino just stood there paralysed, her hands pressed to either side of the door while her ear was pressed to its epicentre. No noises could be heard, none but of Yoshino's pained sobs as she cried into her husband's shoulder.

"H-How dare you… That you would use Kyousuke in such a way," silence followed these words as Kirino's attention heightened her breathing slowing so that she could hear the faintest noises coming from her parents ",B-But you're right. I want to see Kirino live the life that she was meant to live. All our hopes, our aspirations, everything rests solely on her shoulders now but I won't let her carry that guilt… What should we say to Kirino?"

"We'll have to continue what we started. I know this might be painful, Yoshino but it is in Kirino's best interests. And she doesn't actually remember anything, which makes it a little easier. We'll just say that he…"

It was at this point that a switch inside Kirino flipped, her previously anguished and incapable self was replaced by the Kirino of old, a young woman who wore her emotions on her sleeves and today her parents would know the real Kirino. Not the pretender who enthusiastically welcomed them home after a long day but the real Kirino which only one person had ever seen, although she didn't actually know who that person was.

So without a moment's hesitation, Kirino delivered a stiff kick to the door, almost knocking it off its hinges, as she stormed towards her parents who separated from each other and attempted to make themselves as presentable as possible. "Kirino, we were just…" but before Daisuke could finish, Kirino interjected in an outright scream borne from impatience and outrage, a scream which rang throughout the halls of the Kousaka household.

"You liars! You promised you'd tell me everything, you fucking liars!" Kirino screamed, her mind racing with various atrocities to hurl at her parents, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her hands into a trembling fist. An unmistakeable expression of fury painted across Kirino's features, an expression which her parents had never been faced with before.

"Kirino, that's enough. Let us explain?" Yoshino pleaded regretfully as she attempted to close the distance to her troubled daughter. She quickly learnt her lesson however as Kirino stepped further back and away from the approaching Yoshino.

"Stay the hell away from me!" Kirino screamed, halting her mother's progress in an instant. Kirino's father however stepped in and attempted to reassure her daughter while keeps his on temper at bay, even during his daughter's discomfort, he didn't like to be treated like this, "Kirino, please this is all a misunderstanding. Let us explain everything before you jump to conclusions." Daisuke stated calmly, after all a veteran cop would have hardly been perturbed by a teenage outburst.

However it was Kirino's next question that would completely baffle him, not because of its complex nature, because in that regard it was very simple, but because he never expected to hear such words coming from her own daughter.

"Who was he, this Kyousuke? Why won't you tell me who he is?" Kirino mumbled pleadingly as she continued to face her anxious parents who looked at one another, perhaps the beginning of yet another silent conversation where Kirino was left out of the loop once more.

"Stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it! Stop looking at each other and tell me. Who was he, tell me." Kirino demanded angrily, tears of utter frustration slipping down her cheeks as she waited for her parents to respond to her much needed question.

"What boy, Kirino? And as for this Kyousuke I… I don't know of such a name." Daisuke answered plainly, ignoring his wife's evasive behaviour as she looked away from Kirino and her husband, merely looking down the opposite hallway, her shoulders shaking slightly at the horrendous statement. Kirino's expression began to darken dramatically as she looked from one parents to the other, noticing their clearly deceptive and crude behaviour.

And, without a moment's hesitation, Kirino sprinted past her family, ignoring obvious Yoshino's worry and Daisuke's delayed warning, as she hurriedly manoeuvred herself down the stairs and hurtled through the doors of the Kousaka residence without a look back in its direction. Realising the seriousness of this moment, Daisuke quickly sped after her, taking the stairs four at a time in his pursuit of his daughter.

Unfortunately Kirino, being the remarkable athlete that she most certainly is, easily gained enough space to allow her escape which was something that Daisuke realised all too well and instead screamed for her daughter to come back. He was quickly followed by Yoshino whose tone was far more pleading then his own, the guilt undoubtedly eating away at her as she watched her daughter's trailing form, Yoshino's last child leaving her life forever.

"Kirino, please! We're sorry, please come back… Kirino!"

Amongst the feeble pleas from her parents, a light drizzle started to fall overhead as Kirino continued to lengthen the distance between herself and her home, her muscles working overtime, and had been for quite some time, while her parent's voices echoed within her mind. Despite this Kirino attempted to keep her attention focused solely on the road ahead of her but how could she? When cascading tears where mirroring the path ahead.

* * *

.

.

.

Eventually, after several more minutes of intense and mindless running, exhaustion began to take its toll and Kirino slowed to a halt as she clutched her knees gasping for much needed air, absentmindedly wiping at sweat which had formed across her forehead. Looking up to eye her surroundings, Kirino was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful beach off in the distance.

Despite the seriousness of her situation, and the anger that she felt towards her parents, at the present moment Kirino couldn't help but feel content to have found such a beautiful golden and diamond spackled, due to the sun no doubt, beach directly in front of her. Ignoring her best intentions, Kirino slipped underneath the nearby railings and dropped to the sand below.

She took a moment to enjoy the satisfying feeling of sand between her toes and the smile, which had been placed ever since her arrival, never left her lips as she wandered closer to the shoreline, admiring the beautiful sun set as the sun began to slowly drift below the vast expanse of water. It was truly a sight to behold; the surrounding area was painted in this majestic and vibrant pastel of tender blue skies, vibrant white surfs, emerald ocean currents, and golden sand which was also reflected onto and splashed upon her luscious skin, while the heat from the sun and cool breeze lapped against her personin such a wonderfully calming way.

Walking to the shoreline, Kirino felt the ocean roll around her ankles and the moist ground underfoot. At last she was at peace, no raised voices, no deception and a place where she could forget about all of the trauma she had experienced. About the boy who was as important to her as anyone but as distant too. Taking another deep breath, Kirino took her time to admire the horizon which had been presented to her and the comfortable sounds of the waves crashing against the shoreline, and of seagulls mingling with that vast sky.

'_Paradise.'_

Looking further around her vicinity, she was surprised to see another figure calmly watching the same sun set off in the distance, her trousers evidently rolled up to allow the ocean to spread around her ankles without staining her trousers. To Kirino she felt like this person was like her, at peace. The figure looked like a pure picture of serenity the likes of which she had never seen before, was that how she looked right now?

Returning her attention to the sun set, Kirino drew her knees closer to her chest and inspected the shells around her with curious interest. Unlike the other figure, Kirino had not rolled up her jeans and as such the area around her ankles had become drenched with salty water, much to her displeasure, but even that couldn't deter Kirino's peaceful contemplation.

Turning to view the figure once more, Kirino was surprised to see the woman picking up sea shells much like she was doing; only this time the woman was placing them on her long sleeve jumper which she held out like a net. Intrigued, Kirino moved closer to the figure who either didn't register her presence or simply didn't care.

"Um… hello?" Kirino murmured to the slightly older looking woman who seemed content with merely picking up sea shells rather than the trivial task of human interaction. However, now that Kirino was closer, she could see the woman's features more clearly and once again she couldn't help but feel like she had seen this person before, although where and why still remained an unwanted mystery.

The figure in question sported short, dark brown hair with bangs hanging loosely over her forehead while others seemed to frame her face. Her eyes, which weren't clearly distinguishable, were accompanied by her red-rimmed glasses. From the small distance between the two Kirino could roughly place her height slightly above her own, to which she was slightly envious for some unexplainable reason.

Returning her attention to the figure, Kirino attempted to initiate a conversation once again. "I'm sorry to bother you, miss?" Kirino's purposeful question remained unanswered for several seconds before the figure turned her attention away from the sea shells littered against her jumper and towards the petite girl in front of her.

"… Manami." She stated simply, before returning her attention to her previous task as she scooped up several more shells from the shore.

Kirino stood silent for a moment, her eyes widening from what she had just seen. She watched Manami's progress with renewed concern as she continued to scoop sea shell after sea shell and place them in her woollen jumper, without a care in the world for its condition or Kirino's penetrating stare. And while Manami was content, the same could not be said for Kirino who had been welcomed by a sight which she had only ever seen once in her entire life.

'_Her eyes…'_

'_There just like…'_

Manami, sensing Kirino's unease, turned to face her with a look of wonder. However this gave Kirino another opportunity to confirm her suspicions and, unfortunately, she was proven right. The woman known as Manami possessed dark and soulless eyes which only retained sadness and loss, not a flicker of light displayed as had been the case with that man, Kyousuke.

Oblivious, Manami returned her attention to the sun set, which was slowly fading as it sankbelow the vast ocean, and Kirino followed her eyes without question. They stood together, their sides almost touching as they gazed at the beautiful sight that they had been graced with. No words were exchanged or questioned, as both silently admired the dying light and fading embers of the settingsun

"Why are you here Manami? I-If I may ask?" Kirino implored questioningly, while the faint hint of sunlight shined upon the glistening waves of the ocean, waves which flowed in effortlessly perfect sync. Kirino turned her face to look at Manami and was unsurprised to see a familiar, distant look as she continued to gaze at the scenery before her. Perhaps she was contemplating something far more important, far more personal?

"I'm," Manami began, her voice retaining its previously forlorn atmosphere while also remaining soft to the ears of all who would hear it. ", moving on… trying to forget about things which were never meant to be." Manami never looked in Kirino's direction when she spoke, it was as if she wasn't actually here, maybe to Manami, Kirino wasn't here and she was instead talking to someone she deeply cherished.

Before Kirino could stop herself, or think to realise the personal boundaries she was crossing, Kirino commented "You speak as if you were in love. I envy you for that."

And in truth Kirino did. Ever since she had seen nothing more than an image of that man she had been overwhelmed with these new found feelings. A love that she would never experience and a hope extinguished before the possibility was even presented to her. To lose a loved one before you have even had the chance to love them is perhaps the hardest thing of all because at least, if you truly did experience the mutual benefits of love, you could look back, reminisce and find comfort in the face of tragedy. But for Kirino all she had were broken hopes, dreams and bitterness.

"I was, a long time ago. But it was never meant to be, the feeling was never mutual and I knew that. So, I stepped aside and allowed another to take the place which I wished would one day be mine," Manami continued to stare into the distance, her dark and soulless eyes showing nothing but of the pain that had consumed her life for so many years. Her tone however remained soft and wistful as she spoke ", and as for you Kirino… you have no reason to envy me."

"Hmm, I guess your rig…" Kirino suddenly stopped mid-sentence, a sudden revelation coming to mind catching her breath in her lungs as a lump formed within her throat. Something was out of place, no matter how far she thought back at no point had Kirino introduced herself by name. So then how could 'Manami' know her by name?

"Wait," Kirino gulped nervously "How do you know my name?"

Despite having been asked a very reasonable question Manami continued to show no sign of answering as she merely looked towards the darkening sky and the familiar sounds of the waves lapping against the shoreline. But after several moments of silence, Manami finally responded "You know, Kirino?" Manami asked questioningly, ignoring Kirino's previous question in favour of her own.

Confused by the question Kirino opted to respond as plainly, and calmly, as she could "What?" and once again their eyes locked on one another. Clear blue met dank darkness as Kirino attempted to decipher what Manami could possibly be getting at or when they had suddenly become such close acquaintances.

"I don't blame you for what happened. It wasn't your fault Kirino; I think he'd want you to know that." Manami stated before returning her attention to the scenery once more. As if Kirino wasn't confused already, now she was completely lost. What was Manami talking about? What happened? Why didn't anyone tell her the truth instead of offering her cryptic clues which led to more questions than answers?

"What do you mean by… ahh!" before she could finish a sudden, terrible, stabbing sensation ebbed from her stomach, her hands quickly moving and pressing on her abdomen to relieve the excruciating tension as she squealed in alarm. The horribly familiar pain was coming back, only this time her head remained clear and otherwise her other bodily functions seemed fine but instead the pain seemed to have concentrated itself on one particular area.

The pain was immense and despite this Manami showed no signs of noticing or even caring, merely staring across the ocean as the person beside her clutched her stomach in unimaginable pain. Instead of consoling or even acknowledging Kirino's pain, Manami continued to talk of things Kirino could not make sense of.

"I know you're still hurting, Kirino. You hide it well, reassuring others that there is nothing wrong but those are all lies. I can see the pain, you're suffering. I can see it in your eyes because they're the same as mine," and Manami was right, ever since Kirino had left the house she had seen through eyes as soulless and devoid of life as the person standing before her.

"It's seeping through isn't it? I can see the changes already," Manami stated as she lifted her eyes from the sky and refocused them upon Kirino's pained features. "The cracks are forming and the memories are beginning to leak through, memories which you tried so hard to repress and yet memories which, even now, you strive to unlock. Do you not see the irony in that?"

"B-But…" Kirino mumbled, her vision blurring as Manami's voice became subtle and more distant as if they were speaking from across the vast ocean. Another unsuspecting jolt of pain wracked her abdomen, as she stumbled slightly, attempting to return further in land to a safer and more even ground, which could not be found. Kirino didn't move far from Manami however who simply turned to watch Kirino quizzically.

"You continue to punish yourself, why? To seek some form of atonement? No, because you have nothing to atone for. You did nothing wrong Kirino, he loved you and if he could see you now he would tell you the same thing. Why must you punish yourself, for sins which you have not committed? Kirino, please listen to me. He wouldn't want this." Manami insisted gripping Kirino's shoulders to reinforce her point.

"Kirino, he loved you and would have done anything to help you find happiness. All he ever talked about was pleasing you, helping you… consoling you. You were his life and he was yours, he wouldn't want you to live on with regret or sorrow. He would want you to find happiness elsewhere, Kirino. To find someone whose love would exceed the love you showed him. He would want you to be happy…"

As Kirino heard these words a sneeringly condescending voice emerged from deep within her mind, taunting her with its every word about loving this man Kyousuke.

'He was your everything, your life, your love, your soul mate. His existence was the only meaning to your own and without him there would be no other. But in the end you took everything from him, didn't you? Even his life.' As it finished speaking Kirino finally attached a face to the familiar voice, the face was none other than her own.

As shock wracked her body, Kirino could feel this malicious side of herself beginning to uncoil within her mind. And as it did, her stomach began to curdle while a pronounced throbbing in her head brought pained tears to her eyes as her memory ached, struggling to remember things long since buried. Covering her mouth in fear that she might lose control, Kirino couldn't help but mutter through fearful eyes words which seemed so true yet so impossibly real.

"How, how could I? Why would I do that to him? The man I loved."

"Kirino, what happened that night wasn't your fault. It was an accident."

Confused, Kirino looked up to face Manami, ignoring the pain wracking her body once more, and asked "H-How do you…?" Kirino grimaced between her words as her anguished expression contorted in sheer pain, clutching her stomach as the pain around her abdomen increased in intensity and duration. A chocked gasp of pain trailing from her lips as she quickly held onto Manami, in an effort to stay upright as the pain continued to cripple her to the very core.

However, to Kirino's surprise, Manami brushed her hand away which almost culminated in Kirino falling face first into the water had it not been for her quick reflexes. Trembling, Kirino staggered away from Manami, foolishly, believing that the latter's actions were aggressive to the point where she could be in serious harm, such was the pain she was experiencing at the time.

Kirino hurriedly stumbled away from Manami, her legs trembling and her body doubled over in pain as she retreated away from the shore line. She tried to create as much distance between herself and Manami as possible, whilst pained gasps left her lips in increasing frequency unaware that Manami was slowly following her progress with evident concern but more surprisingly understanding. After all, Manami had been expecting this and she knew why Kirino was in so much pain, if only Kirino realised the very serious predicament she was in.

Kirino finally reached the beaches entrance and it was only then that she realised who had been following her. Alongside her, carefully watching with a hand out stretched, in case she fell, was Manami who continued to eye her apprehensively. "N-No, g-get away from…" despite Kirino's warning, Manami silently gripped Kirino's upper arm and led the younger girl to a nearby bench. Kirino was too weak to put up any form of resistance and simply allowed Manami to guide her as a new bout of pain jolted through her body once more, hands pressing against her stomach in a feeble attempt to stem the tide.

The pain was too much. It wasn't fair, there was no reason for this pain and yet it persisted for no reason what so ever. Convulsing from the unbearable pain, Manami attempted to console her by lying Kirino's head on her thigh as she felt Kirino's temperature once again. Pity and understanding fought for dominance inside Manami's mind as she watched Kirino's petite frame tremble within her grasp.

Reaching up weakly, Kirino clutched her chest as her heart pounded harder, threatening to rip from her chest with its every beat, the world around her began to spin and a sickening feeling filled the periphery of her senses.

"What is this…? What is happening to me?" Kirino bit out between panting gasps as her body began to lose its strength.

Manami's caress was still there though… through it all, but the world would not stop spinning as it began to pulsate in tone with the ragged beating of her own heart. Struggling with all her might Kirino looked Manami in the eyes and watched as her lips formed words which took on no semblance of sound.

What was she saying…?

Where did her voice go…?

…

…

But before she could question Manami on this, or comprehend the words which had been spoken, the world slowly drifted away from Kirino's senses, taking Kirino with it. A rapid and uncomfortable sensation of drowning overcame Kirino briefly before she eventually slipped into unconsciousness, her questions silenced as the world darkened around her.

"… A beginning."

And with those final words of comfort, Kirino fell into a peaceful and uninterrupted sleep as her consciousness slowly drifted away After Kirino had lost consciousness, Manami rested the younger girl's head against the steel bench and, unbeknown to Kirino, pulled out her mobile phone from the pocket of her trousers.

"Hello, yes. I need an ambulance at the entrance of the Chiba beach resort, a young woman has passed out, thank you" and without adding further information she switched off her mobile phone and walked down the pavement, and away from the unconscious model who she had previously been attending to, a satisfied smile crossing her lips as she whispered.

"It's started."

* * *

.

.

.

Author's Notes:

From this point on the direction of the story will change. While Kirino is in an unconscious state, which won't be too long, the focus will shifted to the beginning of Kirino and Kyousuke's relationship and how it came about. Although I will occasionally input chapters or put in moments from present day because that is where the story will predominantly take place.

Apologizes for the lengthy delay but the Christmas and New Year period coupled with my beta readers illness forced me to delay publication. I did however publish a Christmas special in the meantime so that fans could read something from me during its delay… but I will admit it thoroughly SUCKED! Not only because I had very little time but because I'm usually better at angsty and suspenseful stuff. But still it was a fun alternative to all my other material and, thanks to the Christmas period, I felt like writing a simple and uncomplicated love story which had fluffy moments and a sappy ending :D

I will try to lessen the amount of time it takes between updates but with my work, and other commitments I have to admit it is really hard. But don't worry about whether this story will be completed or not (which some of you have voiced which is fair because many stories are left unfinished) because there is no way I'm leaving this story incomplete. I have a detailed plan, I know how long the story will last (Don't want to overstay my welcome because that can sometimes devalue a story) and I have all of the situations planned out.

So don't worry guys.

Now as for the stories change in direction I would love to get your opinion, your support has been so amazing and I can't thank you guys enough. I will continue to write this story to the best of my ability and I hope you will continue to read and review to the same extent that you have. I also have quite a few surprises and plot twists coming soon and I can't wait to reveal them to you.

Remember to check my profile for updates, and to vote in my poll which concerns what will be my main story, as I update my page pretty regularly. If there are any problems or information concerning the time of publication then it will be written on my profile page.

Well I've rambled for long enough; reviews are very much appreciated but not required. I am also responding to reviews now so if you have any question, advice etc then let's talk :D

Look forward to hearing from you all, have a great day and stay safe

.

Miracles79 signing out…


	5. Chapter 5: Down the Rabbit Hole

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

.

Empty Places

By Miracles79

.

Chapter 5: Down the Rabbit Hole.

.

* * *

.

Disclaimer: The property of Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai does not belong to me, I am merely a fan, the characters and property belong solely to the owner .

I would like to take this moment to apologize for, both the quality of this piece and for my tardiness in getting it published. It has been 3 months since my last update and that is not good enough, more info (excuses…) about Empty Places will be in the author's note… But for now please enjoy and apologizes once again.

.

* * *

.

.

.

Within the dead of night a lone vehicle proceeded down the vast stretch of road. It progress occasionally halted by the frequent speed bumps which lessened it's velocity and decreased their intended time of arrival… and with the condition of the unconscious individual within this vehicle time was very much of the essence.

Another bump shook the confines of the cramped space as medical supplies fell from upmost storage racks, the occupants of the vehicle ignoring the increased clutter and mess as they continued to check on the machinery which beeped at a slightly elevated pace, a pace that was usually perceived, in their line of work, as "acceptable."

It was only when the vehicle reached its next bump that the unconscious individual was finally shaken into the real world…

…

'…_W-What's happening…?'_

Kirino thought worriedly, as she struggled against a pervasive exhaustion and a disorientating confusion, her body suddenly jostled in place for reasons which had not made themselves immediately apparent. It was at moments like these when the famed model would have accounted for her nearby surroundings, looking for anything that brought about a feeling of familiarity, but in her current condition she felt unable to do so.

Not when her eye lids were so heavy…

Not when her limbs refused her pleas for movement…

As she struggled with her inner qualm, Kirino stayed completely still afraid of the sounds which heightened due to her understandable anxiety. The sounds were somewhat familiar however; the frequent bumps continued to shake her body repeatedly whilst the distant sound of a motor roared within the background. The sound could be easily placed; a car perhaps? A vehicle most certainly but the question remained. How did she come to arrive at this current predicament?

'_W-Where am I…?'_

Kirino muttered subconsciously and, within the surrounding darkness which engulfed all of her senses, the gorgeous model picked up on the faint ambient sounds of a siren blaring its way around her vicinity.

With a great deal of effort Kirino opened her eyes; her vision was felt hazy which was further compounded as the colours around her seemed to merge and swirl together. Forcing her eyes open even more, Kirino sensed the presence of two other figures nearby and as she saw them her heart began to beat tenfold.

To Kirino's addled mind the figures seemed thoroughly mysterious and had an air of evil about them which couldn't be explained within her frightened mind. Two unrecognizable figures standing at her side, a burning white light emanating from behind them with such intensity that Kirino began to blink furiously under the strain. It was like something out of one of her sci-fi anime's. What was going on?

Unfortunately for the renowned model, the darkened figures seemed far more intimidating in her vision then they actually were but at the time Kirino wasn't to know that. All she saw were two human shaped figures staring at her, looming over her with sinister intent, occasionally moving out of sight as their images became nothing more than a painful blur of movement.

That was not all however as this entire scene was accompanied by the continuing sounds of an electronic tone beeping fruitlessly in the foreground. The endless tone grated on Kirino's psyche because its place of origin could not be easily identified within her surroundings. It was only when the sound became more pronounced that she finally realised where it was coming from. As her eyes sifted to her right, Kirino was greeted with the sight of frightening machine seemingly towering over her position.

'_What's going on…?'_

'_I don't know what…what's…?'_

As Kirino attempted to move her hands, in a pathetic attempt, to shield her eyes from the oppressive light they instead remained rigid at her side. Puzzled, Kirino eyes shifted to her right immobile arm as she silently willed it to move even slightly… but with no success what so ever. Finally having enough of her current predicament, Kirino attempted to exert as much effort as she could manage into sitting up but despite her best efforts even that wasn't enough to get her moving.

She wasn't moving because she couldn't move…

Why couldn't she move?

Inwardly groaning in frustration, Kirino ceased her persistent actions and merely lay uninterrupted underneath the solid support of the… stretcher? Her mind working at a rate of knots which exceeded its normal usage on a day to day basis, such was Kirino's superior intelligence when it came to learning or study. But under these circumstances no answers of understanding presented themselves, no solutions and no idea of what was going on.

Her body felt incredibly stiff, her finger tips cold and her arms limp as they lay motionless at her side. This was accompanied by the cold autumn chill which wafted through the open window; causing Kirino to shiver under its freezing examination of her bare legs, forming goose bumps which further emphasised both her anxiety and the temperature within the vehicle. But despite all of this her limbs refused her pleas for adequate warmth.

A strange and uncomfortable feeling indeed which was further exacerbated when she suddenly acknowledged the unfamiliar yet sturdy presence resting underneath her body. It didn't have the comfort of a bed but felt more like a stretcher, Kirino surmised.

Vehicle… Sirens… Machinery… Stretcher…?

Kirino had an uncomfortable feeling about these particular items, did something terrible happen to her…? Why couldn't she remember…?

But before Kirino could contemplate this very pressing matter, the world around her was suddenly shrouded in a white burning light. Instinctively, Kirino attempted to close her eyes as quickly as possible but her intentions were thwarted when the dark figure came into view. With due care the seemingly sinister figure lifted Kirino's head and forced her eyes lids open… forcing the source of the blinding light directly towards her eye.

Due to the piercing pain, Kirino's eyes began to water without her recognition. Then as suddenly as the light had appeared before her it had then abruptly vanished. The only trace of its previous existence being within Kirino's blurred vision; which was now accompanied by a burning white blot at its centre that even remained once Kirino closed her eyes once more.

It was only after several moments of silent pain medication that Kirino was able to open her eyes and finally acknowledge her surroundings in unhampered clarity. Now that her vision had returned to normal Kirino noticed boxes of differing sizes lined across the shelves, many no longer present as they rested on the edge of the stretcher beside where she currently rested. As she regarded the strange items a nearby figure raised Kirino's left arm and wrapped a strange item around her bicep, the lead connected to both this device and the machine nearby which echoed in almost silent repetition.

But, just as things were starting to improve for Kirino, they regrettably took an unexpected turn for the worst. As the machine beside her began to beep at an increased frequency suddenly, as if it were a corresponding effect of the noise, Kirino began to feel faint… her world returning to its blurry imagery and hazy mirages.

Even within her self-conscience Kirino could feel repeated pressure being applied to her chest…

A raised voice filled with concern and dread…

What was happening…?

"1… 2… 3"

A male voice spoke hurriedly in rhythm to the pressure that almost concaved the patient's fragile chest; such was the man's haste in his actions. Throughout this entire situation Kirino was left feeling a sense of dread. Unable to move but fearful that something must have gone terribly wrong if the heightened sounds of the nearby cardiac monitor was anything to go by.

But it was one specific fear which left her feeling emotionally numb. One thought that would have caused tears to flow had she had the capability to do so at this time… One life that she wished she could live… But in the end was this it? Was she going to die?

Suddenly the machinery grew louder and louder, Kirino's senses dampening as her breathing became shallow and pained. She didn't want to die? Not when she had so much promise, so much to live for? She didn't want to die not knowing who this 'Kyousuke' was?

'_Kyousuke…'_

That one name suddenly brought back a myriad of memories, memories which had been momentarily forgotten during her traumatised state. The dream which seemed so livid and so real, the fight between her family and her subsequent escape from a home which no longer felt worthwhile and Manami; the woman who had left her speechless and in pain with only a few softly spoken words.

She couldn't die just like that; in fact, there was no reason for her to be dying at all. No physical pain presented itself apart from the one which lined her stomach. She couldn't die, no she wouldn't die.

And, as if Kirino's new found purpose had breathed new life into her body, the sound of the cardiac monitor suddenly began to slow down. As a relieved puff of air left the dishevelled man who feared that he had lost another patient under his care, a sight that he never welcomed especially from patients as young as this one.

As if on cue Kirino's fingers began to jerk, flexing slightly as a cramped sensation filled her aching bones; most likely a result of prolonged disuse. But the action had not only caught the eye of Kirino but of the exhausted doctor who, after noticing the twitchy movements, quickly moved closer to the patient for any signs of awareness.

"The patients reacting to outside stimuli… Heart rate dropping back into normal range… Thank god I thought we lost her." The figure announced to the second attendant who nervously looked at the monitor, not believing what she was seeing. By all accounts this young girl should be dead had it not been for an act of god or perhaps human preservation at its finest.

… This truly was remarkable.

"Talk to the patient, we need to check her cognitive processes. She may have suffered an injury we are unaware of." The older figure ordered before returning to the front of the ambulance beside the driver who looked just as relieved at the others.

"Miss, I need you to focus… what is your name?" The doctor asked calmly, knowing full well that any signs of emotional distress on his part would unsettle the patient who needed nothing more than to speak to someone who was both confident and knowledgeable.

Kirino heard the man's voice and the serious tone it took but when her mouth moved no audible sounds came forth. She tried again putting more emphasis into her words but the same thing happened again.

After several attempts, and anxious contemplation, Kirino starting coughing quite violently and the doctor promptly instructed the young model to calm down, explaining that this was a very common symptom and nothing to worry about. In fact, according to the doctor, Kirino would most likely suffer from confusion, an inability to speak or move and drowsiness among many others, all of the symptoms which had most definitely happened earlier.

But instead of hurrying the obviously confused girl, the doctor patiently waited for Kirino to speak and after a much needed sip of water Kirino's voice finally took on a semblance of its usual tone, her voice faint and croaky yet still distinguishable. For Kirino, however, her jaw felt numb and despite the nourishing sip of water her throat still felt dry and sore but still a definite improvement from her prior state.

"Miss, this is very important… What is your name? Full name if you'd please." The doctor reminded looking a little more stern.

This was protocol after all and these simple questions were very important at such an early stage of recovery. Unfortunately for the ambulance crew very little was known of how the accident occurred, they were unsure whether the young girl had fallen and possibly cracked her head on the descent or why a member of the public had called the incident in yet been nowhere in sight when they came to the designated destination.

…

"K-K… Kiri-no… Kousaka… Kirino." Kirino stated between sharp intakes of breath, a hand soothing her throat as she spoke ignoring both her dishevelled appearance and the surprised stare coming from the man sitting beside the driver… most likely a fan of hers no doubt.

Sitting up straight in his chair the doctor wrote her name onto the form before regarding her again. "So you are Miss… Kousaka Kirino? Am I correct?" The doctor quickly proceeded on once he received the affirmative "So Kirino-chan, what is the date today?" The doctor asked looking both serious and wary.

To say that Kirino thought these questions stupid would have been a grave understatement but she understood the necessary procedure. She was the daughter of a police officer after all and Kirino always remembered the day when he taught her a little about his job, but those were day's long gone and the memory of the man who refused her desperate wishes was enough to make her brow crease.

Before the doctor could take her sudden change in expression out of context, Kirino answered the doctor's previous question "It's M-March… March 9th … I-if I remember correctly?" the doctor nodded his head in understanding and wrote another couple of quick sentences in his form before concluding the procedure once and for all.

"How old are you, Kirino-chan?"

"… Fourteen?" Kirino stated after a surprising amount of deliberation, for some reason she felt like she was telling a lie even though it was the obvious truth. She couldn't for the life of her figure out the reasons why she was so unsure? Before she could contemplate this matter further she quickly brought her attention back to the doctor who was writing in what appeared to be a block of writing looking notably disturbed about something.

"Okay Kirino-chan," he stated as he flicked his pen off the page at his last sentence returning his attention to the patient ", we will be arriving at a local hospital shortly. We'll need to contact your parents and set up a consultation concerning, well… your current situation." The doctor stated sheepishly diverting his eyes from Kirino as best as he could within the tightly packed space.

Something was wrong?

Why was he looking so jumpy all of a sudden?

But before Kirino could question the doctor on his unexplained reactions, the ambulance finally arrived at the nearby hospital… silencing questions that would evade her for days to come.

* * *

.

.

.

The hasty set of footsteps quickly converged on the ambulance door as Kirino waited, somewhat irritably, to be escorted towards her pre-arranged patient room. Apparently, the local hospital had been made aware of Kirino's high popularity from her own manager who would be meeting her later in the evening. This was one thing she hated about fame and that was to be waited on, on a daily basis… where was her independence, she was more than capable of doing things herself.

Another things she was capable of doing herself was walking out of the ambulance under her own fruition but that particular notion was quickly rejected by the attendants within the ambulance due to the fear that Kirino might not be completely over her previously unconscious state. This entire situation was becoming very embarrassing, which was further heightened as they attempted to transfer her to a more comfortable stretcher.

Feeling a need to prove her fine health, and to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of being coddled, Kirino attempted to cover the distance to the stretcher under her own power but she quickly learnt that while she may be mentally back to normal… she was nowhere near physically ready. As she took her first step her legs seemed to turn to jelly and she would have gone crashing to the floor had it not been for the female nurse who stood by her side carefully watching her while the others prepared for her arrival.

"Miss, you're not quite ready for that yet. Please stay seated and you will be inside the hospital in no time." The nurse offered with a reassuring wink, understanding how embarrassing this moment must be for the popular and renowned model Kirino.

The transfer was seamless with no notable incidents taking place, no humiliating pictures from fans or news crews alike (Which she had initially feared) and despite Kirino's evident embarrassment everything seemed to be going to plan. Yes, everything seemed to be that is…

…

… Until she saw him.

Blinking in astonishment Kirino turned to look at the distant figure watching her from within the large group of admirers, admirers who had been kind enough to merely wave and offer support rather than take embarrassing photos. But god forgive her because she didn't give a damn about them, at least not at this moment in time because a tall figure was watching the incident from the comfort of his surroundings, ignoring the frantic admirers who littered the area.

An impossible figure, a man she had never met or conversed with in person but a man who had been on her mind for longer than she could remember. It couldn't be him… He was dead.

What was going on…?

This wasn't making sense, he was dead…?

So then why could he be seen clear as day, standing among the throng of her own admirers…?

There was no mistaking the figures appearance. Even from far away, and despite being unable to describe any of the other admirers within the large crowd, Kirino could have described his attire from his shoes to his hair length in perfect clarity. After all how could she forget; black hair, dark coloured eyes a slim yet admittedly handsome face, simple and casual clothing which was neither impressive or demeaning… thoroughly plain by Kirino's perceived standards and yet the only man who had made her heart race with such euphoria… and he was finally within arm's reach.

It was only when Kirino looked closer that she noticed the man's face; he held a calm and collected expression as if he was merely content to sit back and watch from a distance. If anything, he actually looked kind of bored if you compared him to the small gathering around the hospital drawn whether by word of mouth or by the arriving television crews that was forced to reluctantly wait behind the police barrier.

Why was he just standing there…?

Why wasn't he running towards her…?

Was he even there…?

"W-Wait…" Kirino stated groggily, the exhaustion of her previous exertion and the return of her drowsiness left her almost powerless. Reluctantly contained to a stretcher with no power of which direction she headed.

"S-sto… stop. I need to go back…"

The stretcher didn't stop though its path never deviating as it continued towards the hospital opening doors. Kirino's eyes still locked on the mysterious man's, his eyes showing no signs of acknowledging Kirino's presence what so ever. It was strange. The man, supposedly known as Kyousuke, was standing absolutely still perhaps unaware of the crowd which surrounded him. His eyes focused on Kirino's as she was led away, a passive expression which didn't seem appropriate under Kirino's perceived circumstances.

"Wait… St-Stop… I said stop…"

Nothing happened, the man didn't move one inch; not to close the expanding distance nor even a flicker of his eyes. He remained completely still the only sign of life were that of his eyes which followed her movement as she neared the hospital. Kirino was slowly beginning to near the entrance to the hospital, the raised voices of fans and new reporters sounding like nothing more than white noise as the man grew smaller and smaller by the second.

What was happening…?

Why was he here…?

Manami had claimed that he was dead, as did the gothic Lolita; Kuroneko. So how was this even possible?

'_Move…'_

'_For god sake Kirino, please… move already…'_

'_I can't lose him again…'_

'_W-Why is this happening to me?'_

But nothing changed the man merely stood there watching Kirino being taken to the hospital with a notably calm expression on his face. Was he even there? A similar thought which occurred when she had met Kuroneko and Manami but only this time the possibility of him being there was truly impossible. This man was dead, a man she had no previous knowledge of and yet the most significant loss she had suffered or would suffer in her entire life.

"Please… don't let me go…" Kirino whimpered silently, the crowd's cheers and the ignorant attendants unaware of Kirino's emotional distress. It was all so surreal, so unexpected and most of all painful. The ache in her stomach returning slowly as if taunting her, reminding her of its existence as if it was some sort of physical manifestation brought for the sole purpose of causing Kirino as much pain as possible.

"Why aren't you chasing me…?"

But he never did chase after her. Instead he did something that Kirino had never expected; he walked away. Calmly and without a forced step he passed by the numerous onlookers and walked down the cobbled street… away from Kirino.

It all seemed so familiar. So painful and yet Kirino wasn't even sure if he was really there or not… but common sense told her one thing; the dead couldn't come back to life and no matter how strong there supposed bond was no miracles would be performed to bring him back to her. All she had was the pain of loss and the silent torture of his image.

* * *

.

.

.

It had been mere minutes since Kirino had sighted the mysterious man known as Kyousuke, a man whose importance still seemed real and yet completely impossible. In her boredom Kirino pondered the man, his relation to her and, most significant of all, the increasing tightness in her chest when she thought of him under the comfortable support of the mattress where she rested awaiting the arrival of her personal doctor. She was not alone however as body guards currently stood vigilant outside her patient door and sitting beside her bedside was the kind nurse from before offering comforting words and occasional medical support.

She hadn't been seen by her personal doctor yet but she had previously been informed that she was on her way and that the subsequent delay was due to traffic, to Kirino this was such a needless delay at such an inopportune time. It wasn't fair. She felt perfectly fine now, a little queasy and admittedly her vision was blurred but other than that Kirino felt healthy. The doctors and nurses held understandable fears concerning her condition but they were needlessly unwarranted. Why couldn't she leave? She had seen him, Kyousuke. So why was she still here? Surely she should be out there looking for him.

Before Kirino could contemplate this further the door to the patient room open and another nurse appeared rather than her personal doctor as she had expected. The nurse regarded Kirino briefly with a curt nod before she rushed towards her co-worker looking slightly panicked.

"We have a situation. Mrs Kasumi, in room 103, is suffering from heart palpitations. We fear it may be Arrhythmia and we need your assistance." The nurse pleaded in a sharp whisper, grabbing a hold of her hand to get her standing upright.

Looking notably puzzled the nurse replied, "Shouldn't you be referring to her doctor, why would you need me?" she asked moving the pair further away from Kirino who watched with a faint hint of curiosity.

"We can't find him. Please you're the senior nurse in this hospital we need your help before it's too late."

Kirino watched the interchange in concern, noting the number of times the senior nurse kept glancing at her and Kirino instantly knew why; the nurse had most likely been ordered to watch her and never leave her side. But she knew the nurse needed to leave for the sake of this "Kasumi" whoever she was and with a nod of understanding, directed towards the senior nurse, the pair began to leave.

But before they left something incredibly strange happened, something which held more meaning than she could have ever anticipated in her wildest dreams. The younger and less experienced nurse was leaving with her senior when she unexpectedly stopped and glanced towards Kirino, a notably surprised gaze forming into an endearing smile as she regarded something Kirino was obviously oblivious too.

"Oh my!" the younger nurse stated, a hand going towards her mouth as the older nurse left the room.

"W-What is it?" Kirino asked feeling a lot less comfortable with the woman's unexpected tone.

What was she staring at…?

And why did she look so excited all of a sudden…?

It was only then, when the younger nurse replied with words which seemed both obscure and completely out of place… a meaning which held no relevance to their previous conversation and words whose meaning would not be revealed for a very long time.

"… So, how long?"

'_How long…?'_

What the hell did that mean…?

"Sarah…" the senior nurse shouted suddenly, looking both horrified and severely pissed off at the younger nurse who shuddered at the offensive tone "…The patient, we need to go now." The older nurse motioned her intention and without further preamble the two nurses left together, the senior nurse looking apologetic and the younger one understandably perplexed.

Kirino stared at the door, looking as equally perplexed as the younger nurse from earlier. What the hell was she talking about? She was obviously an energetic woman, that much could be seen from the way she held her clipboard and the speed in which she walked but still surely people that excitable should have their limits.

Why did she ask such a bizarre question?

It must have had something to do with her fame; after all she was the easily recognizable Kousaka Kirino. Loved by many and envied by both women and men alike, the poster girl for established magazines and the heart throb to young impressionable teens. It must have been some modelling event that she wasn't aware of? It had to be there was no other alternative but still what was so exciting about another modelling opportunity? Was she that highly sought after?

So many things failed to make sense…?

A life of simple pleasure and notoriety had been replaced with hardship and loneliness. She had everything ever 14 year old dreamed about; looks, a far reaching reputation, exposure, movie and TV opportunities, the affection from fans and celebrities alike whether outspoken or not but there was one thing she lacked and she finally realise what it was… love.

And yet the one person who caused her heart to beat, the one person who made Kirino feel like she was truly special… a man who she wanted nothing more than to protect… was nothing more than a phantom. This man had no influence in her life. She had never even conversed with him or seen him with her own two eyes and despite all this he had become the epicentre of her world. But a world that crumbled around her before it was even built.

Just as she pondered this; a single light overhead started to flicker in and out of life, blanketing Kirino in its dying embers. While the repeated sight of darkness and light admittedly frustrated Kirino it was not the reason for her sudden change in mood. No, the thing which really infuriated Kirino was the eerie, uncomfortable noise that the rectangle shaped light made as it interrupted her inner monologue. She just couldn't get even a few seconds to herself without something interrupting her could she…?

"Nurse!" Kirino shouted in frustration. The sight of light contrasted to darkness becoming increasingly eerie as it persisted at a slow almost methodical pace.

No one answered her calls not even the guards who were stationed outside her door. What was going on? Couldn't they hear her from a few feet away? Why they completely death or something?

"Hello! Can somebody turn of this stupid light, please?" Kirino moaned exasperatedly, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the obtrusive light which continued to flicker in a repeated and infuriating motion… the sounds amplifying as they grated on her ears.

This was just her luck but at least she could render this problem obsolete by actually turning off the god damn light herself. The light switch was only a few feet away and she could get there and back in no time, without anyone being any the wiser. With this purpose in mind Kirino hit her head against the pillow in frustration and angrily removed the duvet but it was only when she put her feet to the cold ground when the unexpected happened.

Just as Kirino placed her foot on the ground… the lights overhead suddenly shattered, bursting in a sharp white light which not only blinded Kirino momentarily but caused her to lose her balance and fall backwards onto the bed, rolling in horror as the sharp shards of glass cut into her flesh. A sharp exclamation of pain left her lips as she hurriedly attempted to remove herself from the glass only to be met with a sharp, cutting pain emanating from her feet.

Her ears ached terrible; the world around her swam and revolved at an increasing pace as she reached out to the nearby wall for support, sliding down it as she began to feel physically sick from the sight which elongated and caused the world to be in motion.

What the hell happened…?

Kirino could see the blood soaking her hands, the floor around her covered with a trail of blood… why was she bleeding so profusely? And why couldn't she get rid of the blood no matter how hard she tried? Every time she attempted to wipe the blood of her hands they stayed there, never leaving as if the blood could never be washed off… as if it had been there all along.

Another question which came to mind was; how could she even see her hands. The room had been engulfed in a darkness which formed no outlines or shapes of which she could associate with the interior of this patient's room and yet she could see the blood as clearly as if it were day. The ringing sounds amplified in the darkness causing both distress and frustration in equal measure. Covering her ears with her bloodied hands, Kirino hurriedly shouted for help not caring if she was seen in such a state of undress… she just wanted to get out of here.

"Please, someone… I need help!"

The only sounds that meet her terrified words were the intrusive ringing in her ears and the silence of voices which answered her pleas. Why was no one coming to help her? The guards were only a few feet away, surely they could hear her. Why didn't they come?

"Help me, please! I'm bleeding and I can't get up…"

Silence… the chilling and uncompromising silence greeted her words once more. She was alone, nobody was coming to help her or ease the terror she now felt. As the broken lights above flared with electricity, Kirino concealed her face between her knees… fearful of the horrors she would witness if she were to look up and acknowledge the ungodly sounds which danced within the tense atmosphere.

Kirino felt completely alone, as if the world had abandoned her… left her to her grief in the seclusion of her own mind never to be comforted or consoled like she wished she could have been. But as she thought this a sudden burning escalated within her chest, a sudden thought materialized without any rhyme or reason but it warmed her heart none the less.

There used to be someone, someone who would both comfort and console her in her times of need. Why she thought this she didn't know but she knew there was truth to her words. Yes, someone did comfort her when she was scared or alone but the identify of this person seemed to evade her. A faint image of the man appeared in her thoughts… feelings of trust overriding any scepticism she may have felt over this sudden revelation.

But as she thought this, and attempted to unravel the mystery converging within her mind, the noises suddenly heightened piercing Kirino's ears with an intensity the likes of which she had never heard before. In response to the horrendous noise Kirino hurriedly pressed her hands closer to her ears, her knees curling towards her body in fear for whatever the noise could have been.

Then, as suddenly as the sound emerged, the room was engulfed by silence. No discernible sounds could be heard from the room and despite her best intentions Kirino nervously opened her eyes and unclasped her hands from her ears. It was still pitch black but in the corner of her eye she noticed a dim light shining from above her bed, flickering calmly as if it originated from a shimmering candle.

Intrigued, Kirino prepared herself to stand up… a hand on her chest to ease the pain which persisted in her deliberation. It was only when Kirino looked at her hands that she realised something; the blood was gone. Looking around her vicinity, Kirino noticed that the sharp shards of glass which littered the room had disappeared; the blood which had trailed to her exact spot was nowhere to be seen and the blood that stained her clothes was no more. What the hell was happening?

Ignoring this sudden revelation for the moment, Kirino stood up using the wall for support while her knees shook; almost certainly a reaction from the unexpected turn of events moments ago. Straightening up to view the source of the light Kirino had little to reflect on what she saw as she was left horrified by the impossibly unreal sight.

On the nearby bed, covered by the separating curtain, was what appeared to be a dark human shaped shadow; a shadow that had never been there before. Kirino knew this because not only had the patient room been for her use only but also because the thin curtain had never been there before; someone had untied it without her knowledge.

The shadow was, as previously mentioned, human shaped. The shape of a man lying completely still not even the slightest movement couldn't be detected, not the slow chest movements of his breathing or other involuntary movements. As Kirino watched, the curtain billowed silently in the breeze which entered from a previously locked window but failed to reveal any features which could identify the figure who rested on the other side of that curtain.

"H-Hello?" Kirino whimpered slightly, her voice shaking slightly due to disuse and nerves.

The figure didn't move or even appear to acknowledge Kirino's voice. It merely stayed completely still; the only notable movement was that of the curtain which accentuated the shadows human form and made Kirino far more worried than she had initially been.

Suddenly, just as Kirino took her first few steps towards the figure, voices echoed within the room causing Kirino to jump in surprise as the differing voices converged upon each other… becoming louder and louder until Kirino could hear them clearly.

"**You're a monster… He gave you everything!"**

"W-what… But I…?" Kirino stuttered in confusion, the familiar voice of Kuroneko emerging from somewhere nearby that could not be easily located.

"**Yoshino, you're being hysterical… Kirino doesn't remember a damn thing and you want to tell her everything…"**

"M-Mum… Dad?" Kirino pleaded fearfully, the whispers becoming angrier and angrier as Kirino nervously backed away from the shadowy figure… the place where the voices originated from.

**"It's seeping through, isn't it? I can see the changes already…"**

"No, no, no… please stop this…" Kirino whimpered, the breeze within the room gradually picking up as the curtain billowed more violently… the figures feet becoming visible beyond the fluttering of the curtain. Kirino barely heard Manami's voice such was the gentleness in which the words where said but she heard the none the less as her hair whipped her face and shoulders.

But then the wind stopped, the curtain's returning to their lifeless existence and the voices muttering ceased to be but as Kirino opened her eyes she saw that the shadowy figure remained. As Kirino watched she suddenly noticed the faint sounds of dripping coming from the bed where the figure rested and as she moved closer she saw the unmistakeable sight of blood falling to the ground in a slowly increasing heap.

Kirino had had enough and as she sprinted towards the front door she threw all elegance to the wall as she pounded on the door with a deranged intensity. "Let me out! Open this door." Kirino screamed, her fists bruising as she pounded on the door with glass or the wooden exterior she never stopped until the moment her hands started to bleed and burn under the force she exerted upon the door.

The silence within the room after Kirino's desperate assault was practically palpable but, unbeknown to Kirino, this was not to be the end of her torture because the final blow was about to be struck… and an image which would stay with her until the day she passed from this world, as the final voice broke through the silence.

"… **You're the reason he's dead!"**

And at these final, heart breaking words the curtain was violently yanked off its hinges revealing a sight which would send Kirino further into insanity. The sight of Kyousuke lying sprawled on the bed; his eyes open wide showing an emotion which could only have been described as both shock and surprise…

… A knife sticking out of his chest.

A desperate scream escaped from Kirino's lips as she saw the blood which soaked Kyousuke's chest, blood which slipped down his buttoned up top and onto the sheet of the bed. Without even considering her options Kirino desperately tried to approach the bed, intending to save Kyousuke in any way possible, until she suddenly began to lose feeling in her muscles. Reaching out Kirino used the nearby wall for support and with her last remaining ounce of strength Kirino practically clawed her way towards the lifeless body of Kyousuke.

The light within her eyes was becoming steadily dimmer as she finally slumped to the ground, her feet giving way under the strain. She couldn't move… No matter how badly she wanted to she couldn't move… Was this it…? Was she going to die…? The light around her dimmed as Kirino lay sprawled on the ground, her vision engulfed by the sight of Kyousuke, the man she loved but knew nothing of, lying dead… murdered.

...

…

"… Kirino?"

What was that voice…?

"Kirino?"

Where was it coming… from…?

…

* * *

.

.

.

…

…

"Kirino?"

A voice… some far off voice called out to her but it was unlike any voice she had ever heard before. The voice was so faint and came from so far away that at first Kirino thought it was her imagination, her body felt so powerless and her eyes so heavy that she refused her minds pleas for movement. Why did she even need to move? What was she doing again? Kirino couldn't remember, at least for now.

"Kirino… Kirino."

That voice was annoyingly persistent and she wanted nothing more than to silence whoever was making that stupid racket. But not only did the voice persist it was eventually accompanied by warm hands shaking her slightly… the person's voice becoming more forceful as Kirino was rocked from side to side.

'_For god sake…'_

'_What the hell is going on now…?'_

"Kirino, you need to wake up. Now!" stated the voice impatiently, the rocking becoming slightly more aggressive as Kirino remained rigid and unresponsive.

Enough was enough. Whoever was shaking her was asking for trouble and just as Kirino thought this she pushed the figures hands away, stood up and looked the man in the eye… but that was when she suddenly became lost for words.

"Calm down Kirino… you wouldn't wake up…" the figure explained, holding his hands up in a sign of innocence "Mom and Dad said dinner's ready so they asked me to wake you, come on."

…

Kirino looked at her brother with wide eyes before turning to see her family setting up plates and cutlery on the living room table…a normal sight for the member of the Kousaka family so then why did she feel like something was wrong?

Something wasn't right but Kirino couldn't put her finger on it, why did she feel so uneasy with this situation?

Noticing Kirino's strange behaviour, Kyousuke stopped in his tracks and watched in confusion as Kirino looked from both his family to himself in increasing frequency. He stayed rooted to the spot waiting for Kirino to spit out whatever was bothering her but still this was most unlike Kirino… she had been fine moments ago and had even slept on the sofa that Kyousuke had previously been sitting on. Actually Kyousuke had been kicked off the sofa by Kirino so that she could sleep but those were just details.

But still Kirino was acting really strange and it looked like something was troubling her. Feeling a need to grab his sister's attention, Kyousuke waved his hand towards the living room table in the hope that Kirino would snap out of her thoughts and return to the present.

As Kyousuke motioned towards the table Kirino suddenly gasped, covering her mouth as she looked at her brother once more. Somehow the sight of her own brother had caused her to let such an unexpected gasp. Why was she so shocked? It was just her brother. So then why was her heart beating so hard and why did she feel tears threatening to pierce her eyes?

"Are you alright Kirino? You look a bit pale." Kyousuke asked putting his hands in his pockets as he regarded her, she did indeed look pale and it concerned Kyousuke just as much as the startled expression Kirino wore as she watched him like a hawk.

"Why are you staring? You're freaking me out, Kirino…?"

It was at these words that Kirino finally regained her thoughts and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she realised she had been staring at her brother for quite a while now. She needed to save face and most importantly of all get rid of that concerned expression which mirrored Kyousuke's stupid face.

"S-shut up. Baka… Who would stare at you, sis-con." Kirino replied, her voice stuttering at first before gaining back its previously icy tone.

Straightening up slightly, Kyousuke frowned as he watched Kirino; no doubt put out by the sharp rebuttal when he was trying to show concern. Sighing in emphasis, Kyousuke mumbled something along the lines of "that didn't take long…" which was unfortunately caught by Kirino who looked both annoyed and ready to kick him.

Ignoring his sister's stance, Kyousuke turned towards the living room table… Kirino's eyes following him closely with the same expression from the time she woke up.

What the hell was going on…?

* * *

.

.

.

Author's Note:

So what did you think? I would love to hear your opinions once again, your support has been truly overwhelming, and any impressions you have on my work overall whether negative or positive.

Like I said earlier I wanted to apologize for my tardiness in updating this chapter. The reason why this chapter was delayed was because of both the exam period and my beta reader's illness and new job, I had to prioritise my work and unfortunately my students had to come first which meant I had little time to write my stories and instead planned out lessons and helpful revision based topics for exams. Apologizes once again, I promise you this will be the last 3 month update you will ever see in this story.

From this moment on Empty Places will be my major story, and will be updated as frequently as time allows. The exam period is still on-going however so I'm not sure when I'll be able to write the next chapter, but trust me when I say… the next chapter is the beginning of Kirino and Kyousuke's journey and will explain all the questions you have.

Reviews are very much appreciated and I would be very grateful for your opinion on this chapter, responses as always. Apologizes once again about the quality of this piece but I was having some troubled with it, don't worry though my beta reader is going through this chapter and I will update Chapter 5 with his version at a later date, so be aware of that as the next update will be a chapter improvement and not a new chapter.

All the best and thank you all for your continued support…

Miracles79 signing out…

P.S. If you liked this story I would definitely advise you to read Till MY Dying Day which will be my next Oremio story after Empty Places…

P.S. This Chapter will be polished and better in due course, this chapter is a chore to read but I promise you the content is good but the writing abysmal in places


	6. Chapter 6: A Shadow of the Truth

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

.

Empty Places

By Miracles79

.

Chapter 6: A Shadow of the Truth

.

* * *

.

Disclaimer: The property of Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai does not belong to me, I am merely a fan, the characters and property belong solely to the owner .

I would like to thank Razor1-1 for editing this piece as he did an absolutely fantastic job. My original beta reader, Sypoth Sithicus, has been busy as of late but I'm sure in time he'll return to help out on this story like he did before. Having two beta's will be invaluable and improve this reading experience due to my limited ability and experience.

.

* * *

.

.

.

In the oppressive silence, amongst the seeping waves, and the sand swept beach, there she sat. The lone, distant figure watching as her surroundings began to shift and change all around her. Waves noisily drawing closer and closer, the sea gulls chirping and flying high above, completely unaware of the lone figure's presence.

The scene before her was immensely beautiful, tranquil even. This image, coupled with the peaceful silence, wafting pleasantly into the atmosphere, was truly a moment to indulge in… and a moment to remember for the rest of one's life. That's how any normal person would have felt when staring upon one of Earth's greatest treasures.

How could anyone not be moved when gazing upon the beaming sun dipping far beneath the clouds? Its gentle rays falling across the vast ocean, painting the lone figure's cold, hard skin in a warm, luminous, orange tint.

And yet, the only person who had been fortunate enough to witness such a sight… sat completely still, and unmoved, her eyes merely focusing on the sun's rays spanning across the ocean below. The figure in question watched on with a notably stoic expression… she was, after all, a hollow being with no heart for compassion or for the beauty which could be seen for miles around.

So, instead of enjoying this serene beauty, the figure merely sat there watching this spectacle in a forlorn, somewhat saddened manner, quite unlike her usual positive, caring disposition.

Sighing slightly, the figure looked back towards the scenery. Her eyes barely registering anything within her vision for reasons which only she could fully comprehend. Despite the notable lack of spatial awareness, the figure could still feel the sensation of the wind slowly drifting towards her. Its calming caresses lapping against her milk white skin, flowing through her hair as strands were swept up in its wake… a dainty hand pressing her hair around her ear as she continued to stare out into the opulent ocean.

Within this moment the figure absentmindedly trailed her fingers through the rough sand. Its texture and softness crumbling within her fingertips, slipping through the gaps in between her fingers before falling to the ground where it previously lay.

The feather-like clothing she wore seemed to hold little comfort against the wind's torrent as it continued to press against her exposed skin, the thin fabric billowing all around her as it was ravaged by gusts of wind. But despite this, the figure ignored whatever issues she might have been experiencing and merely affixed her glasses back into their original position before lowering her head once more, staring out into the ocean.

The lone figure remained as expressionless as before; her pupils pitch black and enlarged to an unreasonable extent. However, you could not have seen the individual's eyes, for she had lowered her chin beneath her knees, hiding as much of her facial features as possible. Despite the hindered perspective, the figure's eyes never wavered and continued to scan her surroundings. The dark rings which surrounded her eyes were evidence of overuse… how long had she been awake?

It was a most peculiar sight nonetheless. Not that the individual, who sat beneath the clouds, would have welcomed such feedback.

…

That's right. Manami no longer cared for the opinions of others. She no longer cared for the beautiful or those equally precious things in life. Friendship, family… love. She had been stripped of all these things now.

Friendship: All those irreplaceable connections, those happy and blissful memories. They had all been taken from her. The very people she had once treasured… people who she had the very real honour of calling her "friends."

Love: that had also been taken before it even had a chance to flourish or at least fester as all things eventually do.

Family: that little notion had been taken from her, too. Bonds which had been forged for over sixteen years were now severed, gone forever and never to return.

Escaping from her inner turmoil, Manami purposely relaxed her body; uncoiling her legs and spreading them out against the softness of the sand. Leaning back, Manami once again set her eyes on the surrounding beauty.

With one final relaxing breath, Manami whispered her inner thoughts aloud within the spanning vacuum that surrounded her. After all, why wouldn't she? There was, after all, no one around to hear her speak. Even if someone were in close proximity, they would not have been able to hear her anyway.

"It's been so long since I've seen something like this," she whispered to herself.

As she spoke Manami could faintly taste the salty texture upon the wind, a familiar scent solely native to the sea. Sea gulls continued to circle overhead, occasionally dipping towards the water's surface in an effort to clean their talons. The essence of this moment, however, was that of the unwavering sea, rolling towards the shoreline, practically clawing its way towards Manami sat completely unmoved.

"And yet," Manami whispered forlornly, sighing once more, "I feel nothing."

With these words Manami clenched both of her hands together, her head dipping between her knees as a subtle whimper escaped her lips. She shivered, her body physically bristling under the excruciating pressure, but she shivered, not because of the cold, but because of this sudden and painful realisation.

"I can't feel anything anymore."

Rocking backwards and forwards in a fluid, yet repetitious, motion, Manami cradled her head within her clenched hands. The pressure she exerted against her skull was nothing compared to the terribly painful thoughts racing within her min. However, despite this, her knuckles began to turn white… not only was Manami causing herself psychological pain, she was now causing herself physical pain too.

It was painful, but Manami knew… she knew that she was nothing more than an emotionless husk. An empty vessel who had longed served its purpose; its reason for being… for her existence was no more and as such all function had died the moment her most precious person had also perished.

So, considering all the pain and trauma she suffered all alone… was it any surprise that she had retreated into her shell? Not when she had been tortured and consumed by such a terrible and pitiful emptiness… a raging and oppressive darkness which had claimed both her senses and her wishes for a better life.

"I feel nothing…," Manami repeated, "No happiness, no sadness… not even grief. I'm just tired… so very tired of this."

As the pain continued to manifest, Manami quickly relinquished her razor sharp hold against her head… her fingers unclenching as she gently wrapped her arms around her knees, her head resting on top as she looked back out onto the ocean.

"Why did it have to be you, Kyou-chan?" Manami whimpered painfully, her body shaking from the mere utterance of the name.

"I could have handled loss from anyone… but not from you." A stray tear slipped from Manami's glossy eyes, her breath hitching from the sobs wracking her body, "Never you."

Why did this happen…?

Of course Manami already knew the answers to that. They all did. But not only did she know all of the answers to her question but she had also seen his downfall with her own two eyes. It was so obvious now. The signs had always been there, but she had ignored them, believing the possibility as nothing more than her own jealousy and ill will. If only she had realised…if only she had intervened… none of this would have happened.

It was all **her** fault…

"I knew… I knew she'd be the end of you," Manami said, rubbing her eyes carefully. "I knew she wouldn't be there for you… when you needed her most."

That was right…

She had betrayed him in the end, whether intentional or not. She was the reason why he was no longer in this world. Manami should have known. She should have known that Kirino wasn't meant for him, that her greed and possessiveness would become the death of him.

Kyousuke must have seen it too… he had suffered at the hands of his own sister; corrupted and abused in more ways than one.

But, why did Kyousuke do nothing?

Why did he allow Kirino to grab a hold of him and spin him about from the inside?

Why did Kyousuke persist where other men would have fled at the first sign of trouble? (No matter how beautiful she was.)

"And despite all this, you never gave up. Why?"

Why did it have to be her…?

Kyousuke deserved someone far more worthy. He may not have been remarkably good looking, his personality may not have been chivalrous, and his personal tastes were less than to be desired. Despite all this… many people would have gladly shared their life with him. For whatever reason, and reasons which varied from person to person, Kyousuke had found a special place in many people's hearts.

So then, why…?

With all the choices presented to him, why did it have to be her?

What was so special about Kousaka Kirino…?

"Why, Kyou-chan? Why did it have to be her? Why did it have to be Kirino-chan?"

…

Manami wanted nothing more than to hate Kirino-chan. To make her suffer like she had suffered, to torment and scar her irrevocably.

But she couldn't…

Not after she had promised…

Promised to keep Kirino safe…

A promise which she had been forced to keep in Kyousuke's final moments.

It was all so unfair. She wanted to harm Kirino… to make her feel the pain she had suffered all those years, to feed off it and find pleasure in it. But how could she? How could she just ignore Kyousuke's final words?

She couldn't. That was right; Manami couldn't betray the man she loved. How could she profess to ever loving Kyousuke if she turned her back on him when he needed her most?

No, that was something she would never do. She was nothing like Kirino. Because unlike Kirino, Manami always kept her promises and so, begrudgingly, she would see Kirino to freedom and ever lasting peace. But not for her…not for Kirino's sake. Instead, she did it for his sake, for the man she loved.

"I will keep my promise, I swear it." Manami whispered, her hands clenching together as she prayed to the man who would never hear her again.

…

Tensing slightly from the cold, Manami wrapped her arms around herself once again. She idly checked her wristwatch one more time, flicking her wrist as she prepared herself for what was to come.

It was almost time…

"It's not long till she comes now…"

The wind wisped around her as she spoke, her breath materializing upon the cold air. Yes, Manami was right it was almost time… she had to be ready.

"I know she'll be coming."

It was only a matter of time…

…

It wasn't much longer until her arrival, but as she waited another thought popped into her head. An unpleasant thought, not because of the individuals who presented themselves within it, but because of the person she used to be before all this madness happened. The person that Manami was referring to was none other than Ruri Gokou, otherwise known as Kuroneko within her closely assembled circle of friends and co-otakus.

That was another painful memory, she may not have known Kuroneko particularly well, but she knew that there was a certain bond between Kyousuke and Kuroneko. And, even if it was for a small amount of time, Manami had come to know Kuroneko as well. You couldn't have called them close friends, but they had been within each other's proximity numerous times and a familiarity was born between them, not friendship, but instead some form of mutual understanding.

But that Kuroneko was gone now. Many had been affected by Kyousuke's passing. However, none more so than Kuroneko, not just because of his untimely death, but because of how she came to find out about it.

She still remembered the scream…

Even from the floor above, she could never have forgotten that scream…

But now was not the time to dwell on such things. Kuroneko had not only lost a friend. She had also lost the one she loved in one fell swoop.

It was true; Kuroneko had always been deeply in love with Kyousuke, maybe even from the start. And, Manami had always known. She had seen the secretive, yet longing, glances Kuroneko sent his way, the young man completely oblivious to the feelings bestowed in her eyes. But that did not mean that she, Manami, did not see it.

If only Kuroneko could have recovered from his death…

If only she, or her friends for that matter, had supported Kuroneko when she needed it most, rather than being wrapped up in their own grief… their own guilt.

Maybe, Kuroneko never would have changed…

And it was all because of **her**…

All because of Kirino. Everything came down to her.

"Kirino has affected so many lives… but none more so than you, Kuroneko-chan."

It was the truth, and Manami was ashamed to admit it because she could have done something to prevent Kuroneko's mental breakdown. She could have stepped in and comforted Kuroneko rather than be consumed by her own guilt. But it was too late to change things now. Kuroneko has never been the same since that day, and would never be the same ever again.

"**She** made Kuroneko-chan the way she is today… a lifeless being who avoids even the slightest bit of human contact. A recluse so lost in the past that she can't look towards the future… no matter how badly she tries to." Manami pondered.

She hadn't seen Kuroneko for several days now. Whenever Manami offered support Kuroneko would turn away and deny that she needed help. Kuroneko was so wrapped up in the past that she refused to believe anything which would contradict her own belief because, in her mind, Kyousuke was still alive. But like Manami had said earlier, it had been so long since she had last seen Kuroneko that maybe, just maybe, she had recovered some semblance of her sanity.

After all, it had been Kuroneko who had struck the first blow…

The first to confront Kirino…

A rash move given Kirino's state of mind, but effective none the less…

But who could blame her? She was, undeniably, the most affected by his death. And yet, she was also the last out of their circle of friends to learn about his death. How could she be so close to them, physically and emotionally, yet so far away?

Even now Manami could still remember it, remember the scream which left Kuroneko after learning of Kyousuke's passing. Unlike herself, and other such close friends from Kyousuke's year, Kuroneko had not been informed of his death in the comfort of a warm office, where eyes did not dwell on her for simply being closely associated with him. Unlike Manami, Kuroneko did not have such a luxury.

Instead, she received the news in the most informal, de-personaled way imaginable. Regrettably, Kuroneko had been informed of Kyousuke's death by her home room teacher- not by close friends or caring voices- and in something as common as the homeroom no less. The shock, the mumbled words which surrounded her vicinity, and the glances from overly curious students, caused Kuroneko to break down in unrestrained tears and anguish.

Kuroneko still remembered the words they said, their uncaring and bewildered voices…

"**Kyousuke? Who's that?"**

**?**

"**How am I supposed to know?"**

"**Hey, wait a minute, isn't that the guy with the hot sister?"**

"**Holy shit! I think you're right."**

"**Think she'll need some company."**

"**God, you're such a sick bastard. Can't you show even a little respect?"**

**...**

All these words, every last one of them, had been said in such an uncaring manner. Worse, the last one in particular was said in such jest that it cut Kuroneko deeply. Kuroneko had longed vented about this to both Manami and Saori, but one subject they never approached was her violent reaction to both the reaction of the class and the news of Kyousuke's sudden and unexpected death.

Even Manami heard the scream from her classroom, having long been told of Kyousuke's death and had time to work out her own feelings on the subject. And it was in that moment when Manami realised her mistake. It had been almost a week since Kyousuke's death and no one, not even Kuroneko's closest friends, had remembered to inform Kuroneko of it. They all were too wrapped up in their own grief to realise their mistake.

Manami remembered sprinting to Kuroneko's classroom, and being greeted by a most unbearable sight. Kuroneko bent over, tears pouring down her face, as she vented all her shock… all her grief pouring into this one moment. The most hurtful sight of all though was the surrounding area, the sight of students looking nervously at one another, obviously affected more by Kuroneko's grief than that of Kyousuke's death… teachers circling Kuroneko attempting to calm her down as she continued to shriek and vent all her frustrations, all her malice.

But it didn't stop there. Oh no, because after Kuroneko's tormented screams and continuously streaming tears began something far more troubling. Before long, Kuroneko started to hyperventilate. Manami remembered the haste in which she rushed to Kuroneko's side, pushing a teacher away in her desperation to help Kuroneko… watching as Kuroneko clawed at the ground, struggling for breath which seemed to evade her lungs.

And in that moment, Kuroneko said one thing to Manami… and it was the most painful thing she had heard since news of Kyousuke's death.

"Why…?"

…

Even to this day, Manami was not sure of what she spoke of.

Was she perhaps referring to Kyousuke's death?

Did she mean to say 'Why did Kyousuke die?'

Or did she mean something else entirely?

Perhaps, instead of asking about Kyousuke's death, she asked something far more personal…

Maybe she asked, 'Why didn't you tell me?'

Of course Manami did not know the answer to her question, and even after many weeks together, Kuroneko had not been forthcoming with her answer. The lingering questions were met with brutal emptiness alone.

…

If only Kyousuke hadn't died…

All this turmoil, all this endless grief, wouldn't have to be suffered by any of them. But if there was one thing Kyousuke's death showed, it was how much they cared for him. A realisation which was made far too late, brought about through death which was as final as anything in this barren world.

"Everything hinged on you, Kyou-chan. Everyone depended on you. Their hopes, their dreams… everything. But I wonder… did any of us really deserve you."

Even if Manami was seen as nothing more than a friend to Kyousuke, then even would have been preferable to never seeing him again. She could have handled rejection, she expected it in fact, but to know that she could never see him again, that was knowledge too painful to bear. After all, death was ultimately final and it did not discriminate between worthy and unworthy; there was no room for interpretation. Dead was dead… he would never come back.

'_It's all her fault, all of this…'_

'_It's all her fault.'_

"I…I'm so sorry, Kyou-chan." Manami whispered, her pleas deafening to the force of the wind. "I should have intervened, I see that now."

"But… how could I?" Manami whimpered slightly, remembering Kyousuke's sincere smile which only ever appeared when he saw Kirino, "Y-You looked so happy. I couldn't take that happiness away from you. Even though your happiness caused me so much grief, I could never take that away from you."

Taking her glasses off, so that she could wipe her eyes, Manami breathed in, her head bowed as she prepared herself to whisper words which she would never had the chance to say to Kyousuke ever again. Words which had been locked up in her heart for as long as she could remember… maybe now was the time to let it all out, to convey her feelings to a man she loved and lost.

"I loved you, Kyousuke. We all did."

Silence permeated the air around her, Manami feeling a sudden weight lifting from her shoulders almost instantaneously. Feeling a certain comfort in her confession Manami knew she had to continue, to say her final peace… in more ways than one.

"For as long as I could remember, I wanted to be in Kirino's place… to make you smile the only way she knew how," Manami said smiling at memories which only she and Kyousuke could ever share, "But I loved you so much! Enough to let you go because I knew only Kirino could offer you such happiness. Only Kirino."

Kirino…

The woman she hated and yet… the woman she would save even if her life depended on it.

"I will protect what little you left us, Kyou-chan. I swear this to you, I'll keep our promise."

'_I owe you so much, Kyou-chan…'_

'_I will do my part, I promise…'_

Manami had never stopped thinking about Kyousuke even after his death. Kyousuke had always been a huge part of her life. They shared many experiences together, many happy and upsetting memories were forged through their friendship and it was something she found comfort in and relied upon heavily. It was her strength when times were tough, but now… it was the source of her greatest weakness.

Friendship, the part which would often bring about function and happiness had been severed almost instantaneously upon Kyousuke's death. Leaving only doubt and suffering in its wake.

"And now Kuroneko and I must continue to live without any reason to carry on. We're nothing more than ghosts among the living now. Untouchable, unreachable… un-saveable." Manami whispered forlornly, "We died a long time ago. It's just our bodies which continue to function now."

"Dead among the living, premonitions of the past, lives which were extinguished far beyond their time. That's what we are now. That's all we will ever be… all because Kirino failed where we would have…no, should have succeeded."

Her grief, her tormented mind, they were all about to consume Manami… never to return again until she remembered the promise. The promise she made to Kyousuke, it was the only thing which was keeping her sane. The only thing which gave Manami a purpose, because if she had no purpose then she would end up like Kuroneko… empty and devoid of the life which once existed within her body.

"But I-I finally have a purpose now. I will save Kirino-chan from her demons, from her own self-imposed torture, and in their stead I will offer a future." Manami said defiantly, her resolve strengthened by the locket she now held within her hand, "I will keep our promise Kyou-chan. I will give Kirino a second chance just like you asked for. I won't let you down."

…

As Manami was about to continue her raved ranting's, she was eventually cut off by soft footsteps approaching from somewhere close behind her. The distant figure's small footsteps practically gliding across the sand as she made her way towards Manami.

A filthy, yet pale, individual was approaching. This much she could tell from her peripheral vision as she refused to acknowledge the new presence. Manami did not bother wondering who the ghostly figure was. She didn't need to look because she already knew who it was.

The figure in question wore a white frilly top with a black bolero worn over the top of it, a black skirt whose cross shaped details now hung loosely and unthreaded. The customary grey stockings appeared torn and useless as her flesh was shown clearly, essentially defeating the purpose of the stocking. Manami was instantly reminded of a beloved character from Maschera, and that image was further reinforced when she noticed the withered red rose which adorned her headband.

The clothing, and appearance, was of the gothic variety but to say it was far from maintained would have been a drastic understatement. It was filthy, withered, and dirty… torn in less visible places and, from what Manami could see, hadn't been washed for days. But the sight of the torn clothing was nothing compared to the individual who wore them. The figure appeared deathly pale, her lips a shivering tint of blue and even from Manami's evasive position she could tell that Kuroneko had lost a shocking amount of weight. Kuroneko's eyes, however, held none of its previous intrigue and charm. No, they were as dark and as devoid of life as her own… as hollow as Manami's own eyes.

Two figures occupied the solitary, eerily serene beach. Two broken people sharing the same experiences, the same identity, intertwined by a fate worse than death.

As Manami stood, walking towards the retreating ocean, Kuroneko followed suit silently and at a distance. They shared no words as they looked upon the darkening ocean, merely content to look upon things in the comfort of similar company… viewing things which the other would never be able to see with their own two eyes.

The two individuals stared at the same thing together… but what they saw were two wildly differing things. For Manami, she saw the ever-present darkness, the decaying strands of sunlight evaporating from her surroundings as they were engulfed by complete blackness. But to her side, Kuroneko saw something completely different. Sunlight spread throughout her vision, the darkness receding back to where it came from before vanishing exponentially.

Two differing perspectives, two differing personalities, and yet, they were one and the same… completely unique, yet perfectly harmonious… unlike anyone else in this world.

Turning slightly towards Kuroneko's direction, Manami whispered fondly "I knew you'd come…"

…

Several moments passed between the two and Kuroneko showed no signs of responding, merely content with staring into the burgeoning light which settled over the ocean. The birds fluttered high above contributing to the peaceful, tranquil, quiet backdrop for this moment, making the only other noise beside the everlasting sea.

Realising her question would go unanswered; Manami continued unabated, "You and I are not that different after all, Ruri-san."

It was at these words that Kuroneko was forced to speak, the implication both unsettling and unwarranted.

"You are wrong. You and I are nothing alike."

Silence again passed between the two. Manami mulled over these words with evident surprise.

"… I see…"

That was all Manami could say before silence reined once more. Kuroneko was content with looking into the ocean unconcerned with her unkempt appearance while Manami looked on pointedly, the tension between them becoming practically tangible as the latter thought of ways to lighten the mood.

But it was as Manami pondered this that she was suddenly halted by Kuroneko's next words. They were said in a slow deliberate manner, in one breath in fact, but the sincerity and hurt behind her words were no less acknowledged.

"Are you really going through with this?"

Rather than answer immediately, Manami walked towards the edge of the ocean leaving Kuroneko who watched her every step. Wading, Manami stepped forward approaching the water until her ankles were completely submerged. Her eyes never left the darkness which had shaped, moulded her into the person she was today.

"I see no reason not to." Breathing in a gulp of fresh air, Manami commented on the scenery. "It really is beautiful tonight, don't you think?"

Before Manami could walk any further, her progress was suddenly halted by a pale hand. Looking back along the arm she saw Kuroneko wearing a notably pained expression across her face… her eyes showing more life than she had experienced in her recently acquired lifetime.

"P-please… don't do this Manami. She'll fail… again and again and again. She won't be able to take it, please don't do this to her."

"I have to Kuroneko-chan. Kirino deserves one last chance, and she needs to face what she has done. It's the only way…"

"Stop it!" Kuroneko shouted, "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

Taking a much needed breath, Kuroneko continued, "Please Manami, let the dead lie buried… you'll only hurt her more. You should know this better than anyone?"

The sudden and honest connection cut Manami deeply, so much so that she shook Kuroneko's hand off her and turned away from the concerned junior. That was indeed a very low blow by Kuroneko, but that was a detriment to how serious she was. Manami had to listen to her, to see reason otherwise Kirino would be the one to suffer and despite her own animosity towards her former friend… she would not have let her worst enemy suffer what Manami had planned.

"You don't have to do this. Kirino has suffered enough. Let her remain oblivious." Noticing Manami's uncertainty, Kuroneko pressed on, "We can move on, Manami. Find something worthwhile and forget this ever happened. It's what he would have wanted, he never meant for..."

"I'm surprised," Manami interrupted distantly, "For someone who admits to hating Kirino-chan, you sure do say a lot to protect her."

"I wouldn't wish your punishment on my worst enemy, and that just happens to be Kirino-chan. What you're doing is wrong Manami; you interpreted his final message wrong. I don't know what he said to you but I know him… he would never have wanted this." Kuroneko stated, motioning all around her.

"Why do you continue to question me?" Manami asked coldly, "I was tasked with one last purpose, do you deny me of even this?"

Stepping forward, Manami continued "You've hated Kirino for so long. Why do you protect her now?" Noticing the anger in her eyes, Kuroneko stepped back, "You were the first of us to intervene, the first to confront Kirino without our express permission, a most dangerous move I might add, but that only made me act faster. You knew the dangers, you knew the risks attributed to Kirino and yet you did it anyway, that's why I'm doing this. To save her before someone else decides to vent their own frustrations… onto a girl who knows nothing of her past."

"I-I know. I was angry, okay?" Kuroneko replied angrily, "I-I lost it for just a moment, but I no longer hate Kirino the way I used to. I was blinded by my own grief and I let slip such a simple word…"

"A simple word!" Manami shouted with unrestrained fury, "There is nothing simple about **'You're the reason he's dead'… **you could have caused her irreversible damage, you do know that right?"

"I know and I'm sorry. I-I was angry. But what you're doing is so much worse Manami; please I'm begging you stop this. If not for Kirino's sake, then for ours."

"What does it matter, Kuroneko-chan?" Manami stated smiling sadly, preparing to hurt Kuroneko at her own expense, "We're nothing more than ghosts now, aren't we?"

…

Silence returned once more, Manami stared out into the ocean as Kuroneko shook from words which had never once been said, her head bowed and her fists clenched in unbearable pain. The situation became too much for Kuroneko and without waiting for Manami's permission she walked away, her body swaying slightly from fatigue and perhaps the implication of Manami's words.

But before she left, Kuroneko said one last thing, "I hope things work out for you Manami."

As she spoke, the wind continued to circle around them as they stood facing one another some distance apart.

"… And that you don't regret your actions in the end."

And with that Kuroneko left Manami alone, the Lilith figure's body disappearing out of view as she left the beach resort.

"I know what I'm doing," Manami whispered feverishly, "I know what I'm…"

Looking down, Manami noticed glittering sea shells below the water's surface and as she bent down to scoop them up she was greeted by the sounds of approaching footsteps. Manami didn't turn around; remaining stock still as the sounds reverberated around her ears, her heart racing in anticipation of this very moment.

"Everything will work out," Manami replied in a whisper as the footsteps drew steadily closer, "Everything will be fine."

…

"Um… hello?" the person asked quietly, continuing when no response was forthcoming "I'm sorry to bother you, miss…"

…

… "Manami."

'_She's here…'_

'_Kirino's finally here…'_

* * *

_._

_._

_**Present day**_

.

.

"Come on, get a move on or we'll be late." Kirino stated adamantly, pushing her brother further along the road.

"Alright, I get it… I get it. But, why are we in such a hurry?"

"It's your fault, you perverted sis-con. I told you to meet me here at five, and now we're late…" Kirino huffed before pouting, "don't make me wait, Baka!"

Sighing tiredly, Kyousuke gave into Kirino's agitation "Hai, Hai. I was late by a few minutes. It's not like we had anything important planned today."

At this response, Kirino felt it in her right to deliver a stiff kick to her dear Aniki's shin. Kyousuke cried out in pain after the sudden and unexpected attack, which unfortunately brought the attention of passing strangers who eyed the supposed 'couple' warily.

"What do you mean this wasn't important, Baka! You said you'd take me to the anime convention, didn't you? So do your job and take me there, maybe then I'll forgive you." Kirino replied, throwing in a few well measured insults for good measure. "Stupid, perverted, sis-con. God, you never do anything right."

However, it was only when Kirino was about to turn the corner that she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Both Kirino and Kyousuke almost bumped into the older couple who glared at them as they passed, ignoring Kyousuke's continued apologizes while Kirino merely stared down the pavement they had previously been walking down.

Straightening from his bowed position Kyousuke turned to face Kirino, whose eyes never left the stretch of pavement.

"Kirino, what the hell was that about? We nearly…" Stopping as Kirino left his side and turned back towards the stretch of pavement, Kyousuke followed, "Um… what are you doing? Kirino?"

But Kirino didn't hear him. Instead, Kirino busied herself with scanning the vicinity which surrounded her immediate area, looking this way and that for any sign of the person she had seen but also for a person who could not have been there.

"Kirino, what's wrong?" Kyousuke asked again, Kirino lifting the lid of a trash can making this scene feel a little more comical, "What's gotten into you? You haven't been the same since yesterday's dinner? What has you so jumpy?"

But Kirino didn't listen; she merely looked in shop windows and began to turn shoppers around without their prior consent, offering very little apology to the startled shoppers who were then ignored by Kirino. Of course this left Kyousuke in the awkward position of apologizing to the unfortunate woman before having to chase down his sister who proceeded down the stretch of road like a woman on a mission.

"Kirino, what the hell are you doing?" Kyousuke shouted, grabbing a hold of Kirino's arm to stop her from turning yet another pedestrian.

Kirino showed no reaction to being turned, her arm simply laid limp in Kyousuke's hand as she stared into a blank space… her eyes wide and showing signs of thorough confusion.

This sight unsettled Kyousuke greatly, and realising Kirino's predicament, he carefully led her towards a bench which lay in a shaded area. Once Kirino had been seated Kyousuke quickly ruffled through the contents of his bag, unaware that Kirino still held his hand in hers, and removed the bottle of water.

"You need to have something to drink, Kirino?" Kyousuke said, gesturing to the still frozen water which had begun to thaw in the bottle, "You look like you've suffered heat stroke or something."

Stuttering, Kirino replied "It's not heat stroke. I-I saw something."

Tilting the water towards Kirino, Kyousuke poured some into her open mouth as she grabbed it taking in as many gulps as she could possibly manage. When Kirino finished she handed the bottle back to Kyousuke and retook the hand which rested against the steel grate of the bench, Kyousuke was surprised by the act, but did not question it whatsoever, for he was too preoccupied by Kirino's condition.

"You saw something? What could you have possibly seen that would make you run all over the shopping centre?" Kyousuke asked, releasing Kirino's hand as he applied water to his own forehead and spread it across Kirino's forehead which still felt a little hot.

The moment Kyousuke had finished this he wordlessly held Kirino's hand once again, Kirino glanced at him during the unexpected act and smiled inwardly.

"I-I saw…" Kirino mumbled, piercing her brows together at the impossibility of it.

"Saw what Kirino? I can't help you if you don't say it." Kyousuke said, shaking Kirino's hand slightly so that she would look at him.

Unfortunately, Kyousuke was completely unaware of the reasons for why Kirino wasn't looking at him at this precise moment. Truthfully, the reason why Kirino refused to look in his direction was because of the quite prominent blush which was continuing to spread across her cheeks.

The reason for such a prominent blush was not obvious to all but it seemed that Kirino, unlike Kyousuke, had overheard an elderly couple commenting on their close proximity as they passed on their way to the store. The words they spoke still rang within Kirino's ears and threatened to turn her face as red as can be.

"Oh look at them honey…"

"How sweet, isn't young love grand…"

Despite Kirino's reddened features, she attempted to calm herself, downing the rest of the water in one concentrated gulp as Kyousuke watched on, astonished by such a seemingly implausible feat.

"Kirino, you're heating up." Kyousuke commented, urgently pressing the back of his hand to her head and moving some stray hairs from her ocean blue eyes, "You look like you might have a fever."

But due to their close proximity Kirino didn't hear any of the words that passed Kyousuke's lips, although she did notice his lips which were not that far from her own. With her flushed cheeks, wide and slightly wet eyes, and quivering bottom lip, she took in Kyousuke's close proximity and practically basked in it. Afraid to move and not prepared to make the final push.

Kyousuke, being his usual oblivious self, was completely unaware of the effect he was having on his little sister and kept his hand placed within her hair line, his eyes searching Kirino's for any signs of pain which he noticed almost immediately given how glossy they appeared.

"Alright, we're going home."

It took Kirino only a moment to decipher the meaning behind his words, and she hurriedly interjected forgetting her dazed expression completely. "What? What do you mean we're going home? We only just got here, you can go home if you like but I'm staying here."

Defiant as ever, Kirino looked away from Kyousuke and crossed her arms impatiently. Kyousuke began to confront the stubborn Kirino, but, despite her addled senses, she only responded with more defiance.

"Listen, Kirino." Kyousuke said, kneeling in front of her so that he could look into her eyes, it was the only way he could get her to co-operate after all, "You have a fever, and we need to get you back home and make sure you're alright."

At this piece of information, Kirino turned away once again and huffed in annoyance. She really was being difficult, not to mention that her confidence and resolve seemed to have returned to her once again. This was proving to be impossible.

But before Kyousuke could think of another way to convince Kirino, Kirino suddenly spoke up "You're just making excuses. You never wanted to come with me to the Anime Convention, did you?"

"That's not true Kirino. I wouldn't have come if I didn't want to." Kirino didn't look at all convinced, so mustering as much courage as he could Kyousuke continued. "Tell you what, if you come back with me now and make no complaints about it. Then I'll come with you to the Anime convention tomorrow, for as long as you want."

This news seemed to brighten Kirino's glower mood, but before he could relax her expression suddenly darkened. This was not the reaction he had been expecting, he was sacrificing another day to partake in one of his sister's favourite hobbies, one that he did not find as enjoyable, and this was her response?

"I-I can't go tomorrow, Baka. I have to go to a shoot tomorrow," Kirino pouted once again, "You should know that."

'_Oh, give me a break…'_

"Fine, I'll go the next day. How does that sound?"

But despite his new and reasonably acceptable offer, Kirino declined once again "No, Meruru won't be there. There's no point in going if Meruru won't be there."

Groaning in annoyance, and startling several passers-by, including Kirino, Kyousuke responded, "Alright! Is there any way I can convince you to come home with me?"

…

It was only when he heard the raised gasps from passers-by that he realised how that must have sounded to the average passer-by, although it took him a little while to figure out why both he and his sister were being stared at like the worst vermin imaginable.

'_What's up with them…?'_

'_Was it something I said…?'_

'"_Is there any way I can… huh?"'_

"Ah! Wait, this isn't what it looks like," Kyousuke shouted hurriedly, the implication becoming suddenly apparent as the shoppers began to retreat from them slowly, "She… she's my sister and she has a headache. I wasn't trying to pick her up."

But as Kyousuke approached, his hands outstretched in a calming manner, the crowd shrieked and dispersed without a moment's hesitation. Kyousuke was left wide eyed as Kirino crossed her legs and tutted in the background.

"Baka!"

"Ah! Never mind that now. Kirino," Kyousuke stated animatedly, trying to avoid the embarrassing situation, "is there seriously no way to convince you out of going? I don't want you to collapse in the middle of the convention. I'll do anything."

At the mention of 'anything', Kirino's head shot up and she stared at Kyousuke as if to sense a lie.

"Anything?"

"Anything," Kyousuke replied, completely truthful and unafraid.

…

"Then come with me tomorrow and watch me model for my shoot."

Kyousuke remained completely still, silently watching Kirino with a look which closely resembled incredulity.

"…Huh?"

"What's with that reaction?" Kirino mumbled unsurely, "My personal runner had to prepare for her exams so she isn't coming in tomorrow. Which means I'm left without a runner. But that's where you come in."

Kyousuke stood stock still, his mouth hanging open as he watched the sinister smile creeping up his sister's lips.

"…Huh?"

"You will be my runner tomorrow. You will fetch my drinks and go on errands for me. Everything I ask of you, you will do without a single complaint. Understand?"

…

Silence passed between the two as Kyousuke let the words sink in. After several minutes of contemplation he responded.

"Let's go to the Anime convention."

"What?" Kirino shouted, racing towards Kyousuke who had turned heading towards the pavement. "But I-I don't want to go!"

"Come on Kirino, it will be fun." Kyousuke stated untruthfully, the words slipping out as awkwardly as he could have ever imagined.

"I'm not going. I-I," Kirino struggled thinking of something believable to convince Kyousuke. "I feel faint; I have pains running down my sides. I'm not well enough to go."

Refusing to cave to his sister, Kyousuke continued "You'll be fine; there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Just think of how happy Meruru will be when she sees you."

…

In the end, Kyousuke never did get to see Meruru or the Anime convention, not even in the slightest. As for Kirino though, she received something which was far more meaningful than a simple trip to Summer Comiket. Not only would she be spending time with her brother tomorrow… but he would also wait on her hand and foot because he had reluctantly agreed to become her front runner for the day. Things were starting to look up.

…

But, in the back of Kirino's mind, she still couldn't escape from that impossible image…

An image which she had seen and searched for relentlessly only moments ago…

The image of a darker haired Kirino watching only a few feet away, a look of confusion clouding her expression…

… Hadn't she seen something like this before?

* * *

.

.

.

Author's Notes:

I wonder if you, the reader, noticed something peculiar about those two parts? If you have realised that peculiar something then please tell me, I'll be interested to see which readers have been really reading but as a clue… the change has everything to do with perspective. I look forward to seeing if you figured it out :P

At this point I would like to give some added context to a particular scene, the one involving Manami which will then culminates at the end of her part. If you happen to re-read this chapter, whether immediately, or sometime in the future, then I have a very important suggestion to make. While you are reading Manami's, as well as Kuroneko's part, listen to a song called Shadow of the truth- Katawa Shoujo as this was the song I was listening to when I wrote the piece. If you can get the song on an endless repeat until the end of Manami's section because it will probably sell the emotion a lot more than what I initially wrote because when I was writing I was using the emotion from this song. The song is integral to this scene and I hope you agree with me if you get the chance to listen to it.

Unfortunately I'll be away for a little while due to my half term which came after the hectic and draining exam period, so I am having a nice long rest. By the way, when I say long I mean like 3 weeks to a month. Not incredibly long but I felt like it was something you needed to know because it would have a small impact on Empty Places.

Also, I recently had the pleasure of finishing three Visual Novel's; Katawa Shoujo, Kara No Shoujo (I pray they translate the sequel because it is fascinating) and last, and incidentally my favourite Visual Novel of all time, now, Ever 17 which was simply breath-taking. I can't praise its immersive story enough or the feels it sent me. These were all played for reference to this particular story and I am happy to say they have influenced Empty Places in a new and interesting way.

These were truly amazing Visual Novels and I cannot suggest them highly enough because they really are a cut above their counterparts.

Reviews, etc would be very much appreciated but not necessary as always. I always like to hear and interact with reviewers so if you have questions, criticism or praise; then I will respond accordingly. I hope to hear from you but I hope far more that you have been enjoying my story.

All the best

Miracles79

It is greatly advised that readers listen to Shadow of the Truth – Katawa Shoujo OST while reading the first section of this Chapter. On repeat, all the way to the end, if possible because it is integral to the first scene and the first scene alone.


	7. Chapter 7: Transparency

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

.

Empty Places

By Miracles79

.

Chapter 7

Part 1: Transparency

.

* * *

.

**Author's Note**: There is an important Author's Note at the end of this story, it will give you information on changes to the story's update frequency and other such things. But please read it after the chapter because you might like what you see.

Thanks once again to Razor1-1 who edited this chapter and suggested improvements which were very welcomed. The extra is thanks to this man and I cannot thank him enough.

.

* * *

.

.

.

Something wasn't right, Kyousuke was certain of it. He had frequented Chiba's bustling streets before and had gained some small measure of familiarity in that time. Yet, he didn't recognize any of the places he passed. Something was amiss. To his side stood Kirino, as had become the norm in recent times, appearing none the wiser to his inner debate. In fact, the famous model not only looked oblivious, but far more beautiful than normal. Lightly applied make up framed her face and stylish clothes adorned her body, but it was none of these that made her seem more beautiful. No, it was that small smile which radiated forth for all to see. A discreet smile placed there by her own aniki, even if he didn't know it.

After the last couple of days, it had been a relief to see his sister in a good mood. For whatever reason, Kirino had been acting quite unlike herself. Whether this was due to hesitancy or the upcoming exams he wasn't sure. So to his see his little sister smiling and humming a playful tune as she walked was perhaps one of the most relieving moments of recent memory. However, there still remained one distinct problem, a problem which had reared its ugly head far too soon in their journey.

Where in the world were they?

They were still in Chiba, at least, Kyousuke sorely hoped so. Never before in his life had he walked passed such ominous buildings, looming over the pedestrians as if they were cattle. A rather strange premonition, certainly, but one that Kyousuke couldn't seem to shake. Turning to face Kirino, Kyousuke noticed how at ease she was, completely unaffected by the bustle of the city. Not a single hurried step or worried glance was taken. She was taking everything in her stride as if she had grown used to this lifestyle already. Used to the intricacies of the overcrowded environment and its colossal buildings.

When they did finally reach their destination, a towering building of some sort, you could not blame Kyousuke for walking into her. His eyes were still fixed on his surroundings making him feel like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding vehicle.

"B-Baka! Watch where you're walking!"

"Ah! S-Sorry about that."

Offering one last scathing glare, Kirino looked away, her hand searching through the contents of her hand bag. While Kirino attended to her pressing issue, Kyousuke focused on his. Looking up at the monstrosity which had the audacity to call itself a mini complex, Kyousuke mouthed something rather obscene. The damn building looked like it could reach the sky. Why would anyone need a building this big? How many people worked for Kirino's modelling company? He knew Kirino was relatively popular in Japan but, he had never expected the company itself to be so…intimidating.

"What's with that look?" Kirino interjected, silencing his thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, nothing really. Just didn't think it'd be so… big."

Following his gaze, Kirino looked up at the building, a smile slipping passing her delectable lips. How fortuitous she thought.

"You know," Kirino mused, her tone demanding his attention, "We are surprisingly alike."

"What do you mean?"

"The first time I came here I couldn't stop myself from staring at all of the buildings. It felt so intimidating and I felt so small and helpless. When I found this one, I remember staring at it for what felt like hours, unable to move."

"You mean… you froze? Why did you freeze?"

"Because I felt like I was out of my element. I had been asked to join my first modelling company and, rather than asking for my father's permission, I came alone."

"W-What?" Kyousuke stuttered, surprise evident on his features. "I thought you came with ota-san the first time. That's what you said before, right?"

"No, he didn't come the first time. The first time… I went alone." Before Kyousuke could question her, Kirino quickly rushed through her statement, "I wanted to prove a point!"

Stunned, Kyousuke watched Kirino's nervous mannerisms. Unaware of what she was doing and with a face flushed with embarrassment Kirino began to twirl her hair around her finger anxiously. All while staring at anything that didn't include her aniki, an aniki who was shaking his head in disbelief. It was exceedingly rare to see these moments, moments when Kirino attempted to open up to a brother who had never been there. Who should have been there!

It was something he regretted deeply, even to this day. He couldn't remember why he did it, it just happened. Time created a gap between the two siblings and eventually both missed moments that the other had no knowledge of. To them it was a missing piece of their youth which had only recently returned, like a long lost friend appearing after numerous years.

"What point did you want to prove?" Kyousuke asked, his voice soft and reassuring.

"I wanted to prove that I could do these things on my own. But I didn't realise at the time…" Kirino trailed off, flushing even more notably.

"Realise? What didn't you realise?"

"You can't join a modelling company without parental permission!"

At this point Kirino's face was flushed beyond reason. It had been an admittedly obvious mistake on Kirino's part, but that didn't explain why she felt so nervous. Inching closer, Kyousuke motioned for her to continue, a passive face keeping the laughter at bay.

"S-So I had to call… ota-san."

"W-What!?" Kyousuke laughed, imagining the man's reaction to his daughter's call. "A-And… how did he react? I doubt he would have found your new profession suitable at the time."

"B-Baka!" Kirino shouted, her face retaining its flushed appearance. "H-He… didn't receive the call from me. And…and I-I never told him… about the modelling. They told him."

Chuckling, Kyousuke clutched his ribs and tried to steady himself. He had never heard this particular story and had often wondered why his father had accepted her profession so easily. But he was beginning to get an idea of how Kirino came to be a model. It must have involved a lot of compromises and a little measure of begging. Nothing else would have worked.

"So, what did you do?" Kyousuke asked, stifling laughter while he spoke.

"Oi!" Kirino stated darkly, her anger compromised by the rather prominent blush. However, not even this could have prevented Kyousuke's laughter. Sighing, Kirino continued, "I promised perfect grades, sporting awards and flawless attendance in exchange for modelling and autonomy."

"Autonomy? What do you mean by that?" Kyousuke asked with a confused expression.

"It basically means he would not pry into my life or how I used my money. That was the deal and he has never once deviated from it." Kirino smiled. Even though their father was a hard case he was still a man of his word. It was one of the reasons why the two siblings trusted him so much. Although, Kyousuke still harboured some animosity towards the man due to past neglect.

"So," Kyousuke pondered, his eyes focusing on the front door rather than his sister's flushed appearance, "Should we go in?"

"Obviously! Now come on, I need to get ready!" Kirino remarked pushing Kyousuke through the door with brute force. Kyousuke's head smacked off the window pane in his sister's haste to excuse her from this embarrassing situation.

* * *

.

.

.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Kyousuke whined while stumbling forward with a hand to his forehead.

"Why are you blaming me? You have hands, don't you? Use them next time."

"Why… You…" Kyousuke muttered, his forehead now revealing a sore patch thanks to Kirino's ill treatment.

"Stop complaining, it's a light bump. nothing more. Now come on, the assistant's looking at us," Kirino replied, motioning towards a staff member who sat behind a mahogany desk.

Smiling, the assistant greeted the two siblings in a pre-rehearsed manner before turning to face the younger Kousaka for identification. Intrigued Kyousuke watched the exchanges between the two as Kirino dominated the vocal part of this conversation. She seemed very in her element and very approachable, a characteristic not normally associated with his sister. But his eyes did not deceive him. Kirino was very calm, polite and almost the complete opposite of her usual self.

"Here's my ID," Kirino said passing her identification card to the young assistant.

"Thank you! Everything seems in order… Oh!"

Noticing the lull in the conversation Kyousuke forced himself away from his thoughts. Before returning his attention to the conversation, Kyousuke suddenly acknowledged the assistant staring up at him. It was a rather unnerving sight. She looked troubled and rather apologetic for reasons which she had not yet explained. Kirino seemed to notice this and looked between the two slightly confused.

"I'm sorry but I will have to ask you to leave the premises." The assistant stated looking Kyousuke firmly in the eye.

"What!?" Kirino interjected before Kyousuke could even muster up a single protest. "Why? Why can't he come inside?"

Angrily, Kirino slammed her hands against the desk while piercing the assistant with a penetrating glare. If Kyousuke didn't know better he would have thought that Kirino wanted him to be here more than he did. Nevertheless Kyousuke stood there watching the two looking at one another in a mixture of defiance and anxiety.

"I-I apologise Miss Kousaka," the assistant stated with a hand held up in defence, "But only registered members of this firm can attend this shoot. And Mr?"

"Kyousuke."

"Mr Kyousuke is not a registered member of this firm," uneasily the assistant continued. "I'm sorry sir but I will have to ask you to vacate the premises or I will be forced to escort you out."

"He's not leaving!" Kirino stated defiantly before a sudden memory popped up. "Ah! Wait, in my contract it clearly states that I am allowed to bring one guest to a shoot every three months, am I correct?"

Looking between the two siblings the assistant began typing on her computer. Different folders and files could be seen in the reflection off her glasses. And, if Kyousuke had not been mistaken, he had seen a tab labelled Maschera on the internet tab. Oh, if only Kirino knew. As suddenly as she had started typing, the assistant turned the computer screen to face them.

"You are correct Miss Kousaka," she stated while smiling warmly. "Would you like to use your special exemption then?"

"Yes! His name is Kousaka Kyousuke… he's… he's my…" Kirino stuttered before being interrupted by Kyousuke.

"I'm her older brother. I'm to be filling in as her personal assistant for the day."

Kirino looked down. She still struggled to acknowledge him as an older brother. It wasn't necessarily anyone's fault, but they simply hadn't been able to see each other as brother and sister. Perhaps it was due to their youthful neglect or the underlying scent of animosity between them. But Kirino could not acknowledge him as a brother and Kyousuke knew this.

That was why Kyousuke had spoken when Kirino was showing signs of discomfort. And that was why Kirino looked so affronted because she had been trying to see him as an aniki but had only been able to see him as a teenage boy. The connection they now shared was deeper than any friendship or sibling bond. It was on the precipice of trust, but still had a long way to go.

"Of course," the assistant mused pleasantly. "Here you go Mr Kousaka. I hope you both have a pleasant day."

Nodding, Kirino motioned for Kyousuke to follow her and the two walked through the double-sided doors towards the elevator and her personally assigned changing room. As they walked Kirino greeted people in increasing number. Whether a simple wave or a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Kirino took the time required to greet each person. From one very brief look into Kirino's modelling life Kyousuke could tell that his sister was highly regarded. There was no hidden tone of malice or whispered bickering as he had been expecting (due to that accursed eroge). Instead, a warm and comfortable feeling was present.

Unfortunately, while Kirino had been welcomed happily by everyone, the same could not be said for himself. While the young women greeted and playfully questioned their bond, to Kirino's horror and silent elation, the other gender were not so welcoming. Every corridor he passed many male teenagers glared at him or raised sceptical eyes. Kirino still greeted these people, a nod in the place of a hug and a kiss, but she seemed to be enjoying the envy which directed itself solely at Kyousuke.

The way it should be, Kirino thought.

It took several more minutes and several warm greetings before they arrived at Kirino's changing room. The door was embellished by curvaceous writing and a stylised font which spelled out the words 'Kousaka Kirino.'

Yes, Kyousuke thought as he stared up at the words encased within a shooting star, she is very popular. As they walked inside, Kirino, rather unexpectedly, threw her bags at him and ran towards a stunningly beautiful woman who must have been in her early thirties. Even Kyousuke couldn't help but blush as he saw the woman's mocha eyes staring up at him and the girl who had launched herself into her arms.

"Why, hello again Kirino-chan," the young woman mused pleasantly. "I see you missed me."

"Yui! Oh my god! I didn't think you'd be back till next month!" Kirino shouted excitedly, holding the older woman's hands in hers.

"Well, I wanted to surprise you," the woman whispered cheerfully, flicking Kirino's nose before facing Kyousuke who stood rooted to the spot.

"Oh, and who might this be? Your boyfriend by any chance?"

"Y-Yui!" Kirino moaned exasperatedly. "He's not my boyfriend! I would never degrade myself into picking someone like him."

"Eh? I am here you know," Kyousuke muttered. "And I wouldn't even want to be your boyfriend in the first place."

As Kyousuke turned to place the bags against the desk, Yui felt Kirino's body shudder rather noticeably in her arms. Unfortunately, Kyousuke had not realised how those words had cut through Kirino like a sharp instrument of torment. And it didn't take Yui long to figure out who the boy must have been, there was only one man who could get a reaction out of Kirino. She smiled fondly at both Kirino's reaction and at having finally met Kirino's much talked about 'guardian.'

"You must be Kyousuke, right?"

"Y-Yes," Kyousuke replied, lost for words at being addressed so formally by this beautiful woman. "Kousaka… Kyousuke. But h-how did you know who I am?"

"It was just an educated guess, but I must say it is a privilege to meet you. Kirino talks about you all the time," Yui stated, looking towards Kirino who reddened beside her.

"N-N-No I don't. Why would I talk about him?" Kirino interrupted turning towards her confused aniki. "Don't go thinking stupid things, I don't think about you. GOT IT!?"

"Oh my, aren't you hysterical **Mrs** Kousaka," Yui said drawing out the final words so that Kirino could understand its implication, of course Kyousuke remained oblivious to this entire situation.

"W-What?" Kirino stuttered, her eyes staring into Yui's as the girls participated in their own private conversation.

"Um?" Kyousuke interrupted, gaining their attention. "I'm guessing Kirino complains about me a lot then, right?"

"Oh you have no idea," Yui replied, interfering with Kirino who had been attempting to speak. "She complains about you every day, moans about your every decision and…"

"No I don't…"

In response to Kirino's interruption, Yui quickly wrapped her hand around her junior's mouth to stop her from talking. Wrapping her close to keep Kirino from escaping, the fiery strawberry blonde put up a brave resistance, but in the end Yui would not be denied her moment of 'embarrassing friendship.'

"I have never heard this girl talk more animatedly than when she talks about you. When she talks about her friends she gets a little bit excited, her school work and achievements very little. But when we talk about you all hell breaks loose. She will go and on about you, never letting up for a moment. Venting all her emotions out…"

"S-She's lying… I don't!" Kirino shouted hastily before Yui regained her closed hold around her lips.

"You seem to always be on her mind, I hope you're ready to take responsibility… K-Y-O-U-S-U-K-E- kun," Yui stated sweetly. Kyousuke was afraid of getting diabetes from such a sweet utterance of his name.

"Um… I'm really confused. None of those are good points, yet you make them sound like some sort of achievement. Doesn't that just prove she's annoyed with me?"

Sighing, Yui relinquished her hold around Kirino who looked between the pair outraged. "You are right about one thing Kirino."

"Huh?"

"He is incredibly dense."

Before either sibling could mount a defence, a warning buzzer rang within the stylish changing room. Kirino gasped as she heard it. "Crap! That was the hour warning signal. Yui would you head towards the makeup area? I'll be right with you."

Looking between the two siblings with an amused glance, Yui stepped out of the changing room. But not before offering one last look at Kirino's much talked about aniki, staring rather intently. Noticing this, Kyousuke turned to face her but had little time to react before being engulfed in a tight embrace. Upon contact, Kyousuke reddened even further when he felt Yui's mature bosom pressing against his chest. In retrospect, he was unsure whether he should be feeling happy about this embrace. Or perhaps even envious that someone else would most likely have the pleasure of hugging this bountiful body?

"Y-Yui!" Kirino shouted, viewing the sight of Kyousuke and her personal makeup lady wrapped in a tight embrace.

"Calm down Kiri-chan," Yui teased, Kirino blushing after hearing her personal nickname. "I just wanted to see what all of the fuss was about and I have to say..."

"W-What do you mean?" but before Kirino could continue she was pulled into a three way hug, the siblings facing one another as Yui hugged them tight. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"He's a keeper Kiri-chan," Yui mused in a whisper, Kyousuke hearing nothing of this conversation due to the sound of his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. "You better not let this one get away."

"I don't… what are you talking about? Didn't you hear, he's my aniki!" Kirino whispered harshly, but not loudly enough for Kyousuke to overhear.

"So? I'm of the belief that you should welcome love wherever you find it. If that happens to be someone close to you then so be it. Although, now that I think about it, that might just be the eroge talking, hmm?"

Laughing, Kirino blushed as she felt Yui's lips press against her forehead. Not because of the kiss itself, but due to the thought that Kyousuke might one day do the same. But before she could respond to Yui's suggestion, Yui retracted herself from the hug and walked out of the changing room.

"I'll see you in the makeup room Kiri-san," Yui waved before addressing the slightly bemused boy. "A pleasure to meet you Kyousuke, it was very… enlightening."

And with that Yui was walking down the corridor and out of sight, a relieved smile prominent on her lips. _Looks like Kiri-chan's found that special someone, about damn time too! _Yui thought cheerfully.

* * *

.

.

.

Staring at the open door, Kyousuke and Kirino refused to look at one another. So many thoughts were racing through Kyousuke's mind. He felt out of the loop and oblivious to something rather important. What the hell had they been talking about? While Kyousuke pondered that he turned to look at his sister who seemed lost in her own thoughts. Feeling a rather tangible tension in the air Kyousuke attempted to lighten the mood, not noticing Kirino's change in expression.

"So, uh, she was kind of friendly, don't you think? How long have you…" But as Kyousuke turned to address Kirino he suddenly swallowed his last remaining words. Kirino's face was inches from his own and held a frightening glare of disapproval. Kirino looked like she was livid with him for whatever reason and his assumption was proven correct after a pause. With a finger pressed to his chest Kyousuke was pushed back by the strawberry blond, his back pressing against the nearby wall.

"W-What did I do?" Kyousuke murmured, unease flooding through him as he met a seething stare.

"Forget…"

"Huh?"

"F-Forget…" Kirino repeated her tone practically promising a life time of pain if he were to disobey.

"Forget… Forget what?"

"Forget everything you just heard, understood?!" Kirino whispered dangerously, a sudden chill racing down Kyousuke's spine not only at her words, but also at the finger which pushed his face up to meet hers. Gulping, Kyousuke quickly nodded his head. Kirino was far too close for his liking. He could see every loose strand of hair crossing her forehead and even the scent of her breath; it was becoming slightly unnerving. Why was his heart quickening like this?

"U-Understood."

"Good, because I wouldn't want you to think…" Before Kirino could continue, her eyes seemed to register their close proximity, widening at the sudden realisation. Not only did she notice their proximity, but she also saw the look of concern etched upon her aniki's face. That was enough to make her feel dejected and upset by her own behaviour.

"It's not that I don't like you…" Kirino continued, gasping as she realised how that could be taken in the correct context. "I mean! Obviously, not in the way she was suggesting. I'm your sister after all. You… know what I mean?"

Unfortunately Kyousuke had been unable to hear his sister's words. During the one sided conversation, Kirino's voice had wavered quite considerably. Every word was immediately littered by stutters of incoherence quite unlike the illustrious model. All of this, accompanied by the sudden blush, resulted in Kyousuke being even more confused than before.

Before either sibling could muster up a single word, the warning buzzer rang through the changing room again. Kirino's head snapped to attention as she turned to face the clock, her eyes bulging at the time it displayed. Working feverishly, Kirino threw an assortment of items into her hand bag and tore through desk draws at an alarming pace. Kyousuke was forced to do nothing but watch his sister's progress with astonishment and an admitted sense of amusement.

"Oh crap! The director's going to kill me!" Kirino screamed while roughly packing her bag and grabbing a hold of Kyousuke's hand. "We need to get going now!" Before Kyousuke could even adjust himself to the sudden change in direction, both the Kousaka siblings were hurtling through the corridors.

…

Having arrived at the staging area, Kirino slowed down to a casual walk, looking almost nonchalant as if she hadn't been sprinting to get here. Of course this innocent façade was undermined by her own brother who was panting beside her. They managed to attract several bemused glances before Kirino explained the situation, ignoring them once their curiosity had been sated.

"Hey," Kyousuke murmured after hearing Kirino's excuse. "I do not have asthma. What kind of an excuse is that?"

"Would you rather I tell them you're an unfit, lazy, and morbidly obese pervert?"

Sighing, Kyousuke straightened up and replied, "I understand the first three, but what does being a pervert have to do with my fitness?" Realising what he had just said Kyousuke then whispered in a lower voice. "Hey! I am not a pervert! And I certainly am not morbidly obese!"

"Then why are you out of breath, hmm?" Kirino asked, not even looking at Kyousuke as she scanned the area. "And don't talk to me. I'm trying to… ah!"

Turning to look at where Kirino was pointing, Kyousuke recognized a busily attended stage far off in the distance. Various male and female crew members were building the stage's back drop as well as setting up cameras, lighting and other pieces of equipment. It seemed very professional and the crew seemed to be working as one, like a trained collective rather than a bunch of individuals crammed together. Impressed, Kyousuke whistled as he viewed the number of seats crowded behind the main camera drawing the attention of not only Kirino but of some of the other staff as well.

"You idiot," Kirino muttered raising a hand to her forehead. "The sound carries in this room. Which means everyone just heard you whistling, thanks for drawing attention to me… Baka!"

"Sorry. I didn't realise." Kyousuke replied, noticing the increasing looks from stage members before they headed back to work. "But I've got to admit. This place looks really… different than I imagined."

Curious, Kirino forgot her previous disappointment and looked towards Kyousuke in anticipation. "What did you imagine then? Did you think it would…?"

Before Kirino could continue a sudden loud voice interrupted the flow of the conversation. Kirino heard her name being uttered from far away. Turning to face the intruder Kirino was pleasantly surprised to see some of her back up models wrapped in bathrobes while smiling and waving at her.

"Kirino-san!" A rather beautiful looking girl exclaimed, waving a little more energetically than the others.

"I'll be right there girls!" Kirino shouted back, waving like an excited teenager at the sudden acknowledgement.

As Kyousuke continued to watch his sister's interactions throughout the day he couldn't help but think one thing. Why the hell does she act so normally here? This all seemed like a façade on the part of Kirino, but not one she brought up due to dislike or bullying. Rather she seemed to enjoy her time around these people and welcomed all of the attention.

"Oi," Kirino whispered urgently, dragging Kyousuke out of sight for reasons which utterly perplexed him. "Stay here and do not move until I get back. Alright!? Got it!?"

"Huh, oh, yeah… sure?" Kyousuke replied as Kirino steered his body before forcing him against a wall yet again.

"No. Not **yeah, sure. **Promise me you'll stay here and not move until I come back!"

"Okay, understood. I'll stay here and won't cause you any more trouble."

"Good. Stay here and I'll be back in a little bit." Kirino muttered, although her reasons for keeping Kyousuke out of sight were less for troubles sake and more so none of her co-workers could see him and take an interest. Kirino didn't need further competition; she had enough competition to contend with already.

…

Walking towards the other models, Kirino smiled and waved once again. As she approached Kirino silently gauged their reactions to her re-appearance, praying that none of them had seen Kyousuke or taken a vested interest in him. Unfortunately, once she had seen their amused glances and whispered conversations, she knew they had already seen him.

"So Kiri-san?" the brunette model muttered, amusement twinkling in her ocean blue eyes, "Who is that guy?"

Following the girl's finger, Kirino turned to see Kyousuke no longer leaning against the wall but sitting in a seat watching their interactions. As she continued to watch Kyousuke, he was suddenly asked to move by a member of the staff. Offering his sincerest apologises Kyousuke stood from the chair and sat on another one before being told that all the chairs would have to be collected. Of course Kirino already knew this and had specifically told Kyousuke to stay standing against the wall. The chairs were meant for the production crew after all.

Hearing the unanimous laughter and muttered exclamations of "Cute!" ringing around her ears, Kirino quickly answered the complicated question. "What him? He's no one important. Just a friend of mine, I guess." Waving her hand as if the matter was of no importance, and should be immediately dropped on pain of death, Kirino tried to change the subject.

She tried, but undeniably failed.

"So he's just a friend right? There's nothing else between you two?" The same brunette asked, her eyes continuing to watch as the boy passed along the chairs to the production team. Kirino fumed as he disobeyed every last command she gave him.

_I asked you to do two things and you couldn't even do that_, Kirino thought silently.

"Yes that's right?" Kirino pondered sceptically, looking at the brunette who seemed to smile at the response. "Why?"

"Well if he's just a friend, then maybe I should say hello to him. You wouldn't mind right? He's **just **a friend after all." The brunette murmured, slapping some of the other girls who teased her relentlessly.

"Oh, look Sora's blushing. How cute?" the group mused as they watched Sora blush from being caught and from the honest truth of the statement.

"So it's alright if I go over there, right Kirino-san? I wouldn't be stepping on your toes would I?" Sora asked uncertain. Even though the guy was reasonably good looking and an obvious gentleman, that didn't mean she would step in the way of Kirino if she did happen to have an interest in him. She could have been pretending to be uninterested; she had done it many times herself.

"I'm sorry Sora-san but that wouldn't be a good idea." Kirino replied, panicking at the thought of Sora seducing Kyousuke.

Sora was very pretty and innocent after all, not a bad bone in her body which many men would fall for. Kirino, despite herself, felt rather surprised by Sora's reaction. She had known the brunette for a little over a year now and had never shown an interest in any boys, until now. She was a very shy girl and preferred reading over activities which involved socialising, which is why it took Kirino completely by surprise. It pained Kirino to admit this, but she would have helped Sora claim any boy she liked. Yes, any boy indeed… except Kyousuke. He was out of bounds to all but herself; Sora would just have to look somewhere else.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked nervously, her hands fiddling with the string around her collar as she looked at Kirino. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea?"

"Because…" Kirino muttered, realising she had not thought this out. "H-He's already got a girlfriend. I'm sorry Sora, but I think he's head over heels for her."

Annoyed at the expected reply, Sora looked at Kyousuke again who remained oblivious to her interest. In fact, Kyousuke was leisurely sipping on a bottle of water while a trail of sweat slipped from his brow. Although Kirino, for the life of her, could not figure out where the bottle of water came from, the food and drinks area was not even near him.

"Is… Is…" Sora muttered, the other girl's attempting to reassure her with comforting words which were far from welcome at the present time. She was not going to give up without a fight. "Is his girlfriend a model?"

"Is she a model? Um, no… at least I don't think so. Why do you ask?" Kirino asked, feeling uneasy due to Sora's unwillingness to give up on this topic. It was only Kyousuke after all; he was hardly Takumi Usui, after all. Sora could find a better looking man if she wanted to; maybe not as kind, caring, or giving, but certainly more handsome.

"So what's the problem?" Sora muttered, the surrounding girls rather surprised by her reaction. She was acting most unlike her usual silent and nervous self. Sora sounded almost defiant and it was a change no one welcomed. Crossing her arms against her breasts, Sora waited for a response. However, when no one was forthcoming she continued.

"How do we even know he's serious about this girl? He might not be as keen on her once he meets me, right? I could offer him another option and maybe he would prefer me over his girlfriend."

"But Sora-san," a blonde model spoke up, looking uneasy. "Wouldn't that be unfair? I mean…"

"How is it unfair!? I'm just giving him another option. It's not like I'm going to seduce him or something. I just want to say hello and see if he's even remotely interested in me. If he is then I'm well within my right to act," Sora stated, looking neither upset about the rejection nor happy that she had been interrupted.

"But Sora-san…"

"Yes, Kirino? What is it?"

"I'm really sorry but… they're engaged…" Kirino stated untruthfully, hoping this would stop Sora from perusing the only person Kirino felt any interest in.

"Oh…" Sora murmured, looking bitterly disappointed, but understanding all the same. "I didn't realise that. It's a shame, but I suppose he was a little out of my league anyway."

Sora was always the pessimist, unfortunately, but thanks to Kirino and the others girl's support and enthusiasm the young brunette seemed to feel a little better after a while. Kirino had feared Sora's negative reaction, but it had to be done. No one would get in the way of her feelings for her aniki. Not even her friends or co-workers. It would take time, but eventually Kirino would express her feelings for Kyousuke. However, she had been saying this for a long while now and the words had remained as hollow as they had been back then. Always promising things yet too scared to act; a repetitive and never ending cycle.

Relieved, Kirino turned to look in Kyousuke's direction, surprised to see him watching them with a raised eye brow. Her confusion disappeared, however, when she saw the other models smiling and waving at him, including Sora. Cursing inwardly, Kirino realised how suggestive this must have seemed to Kyousuke. No doubt, the idiot would be thinking that his sister had been talking about him to her friends, although, this was only slightly true.

"W-What are you doing?" Kirino muttered, looking at the models with exasperation. "Come on we need to get changed, let's get moving!"

Hurriedly, Kirino dragged the remaining girls towards the makeup area and away from Kyousuke who's eye brow remained hitched. His confusion remained unanswered, but most importantly, he now realised he was alone in a place which held no familiarity. This was going to be fun…

* * *

.

.

.

Looking around, Kyousuke's attention was snatched by the staging area which had changed since he last saw it. Gone were the long sheets of white covering the back drop and in its place stood a luxurious beach whose sun seemed to radiate upon his skin. The sight was simply impressive, as was the creativity to have made something obviously painted feel very much alive and organic. The innovation astounded Kyousuke; he had always seen model shoots as simple things with little to no creativity. But when he actually saw it for all its splendour, only then did he realise the attention and detail that goes on behind the scenes.

Then there was that beach. It looked so real and vibrant; even the two figures that were painted onto its back drop seemed fitting. Strangely, one of the painted figures seemed to be wearing a strange gothic Lolita outfit not unlike the one Kuroneko used to wear. In fact, the resemblance was uncanny. Then there was another girl standing against the shore looking up at the sun, sea shells littering her feet. As he leaned forward to get a better look, a sudden strange chill ran through his body as well as an uneasy feeling that he couldn't quite describe. It must have been the resemblance to Kuroneko that caused such a reaction, but it couldn't have been her. She had no interest in modelling.

Turning his attention from the wonderfully drawn beach, Kyousuke observed people pass by him in increasing number. Models and back stage staff rushed to their assigned positions, but not before offering him a smile as they passed. This place had a rather comforting air about it, an almost homely feel as he watched the staff and models talk amongst one another in high spirits. It was only when Kyousuke continued to look around that he noticed a distinct problem.

Further along the nearby wall a few members of staff were having issues carrying a cumbersome object which looked far too heavy for three people. In fact, from the looks of it, the fluffy looking object seemed to be tilting rather precariously. Standing up, Kyousuke rushed towards the group and offered a helping hand. The help was more than welcomed due to both the weight of the object and the exertion of their muscles. And so, with additional help, they eventually managed to move the object onto the stage. Taking another look at the object they had just placed above the stage Kyousuke realised it had been a cloud. Were clouds supposed to be that heavy?

"Thank you very much Kid!" An older gentleman huffed, patting him on the back as he passed. "The rest isn't so troublesome so you can go back to what you were doing."

"Okay, no problem. If you need a hand then please feel free to call for me."

"What's your name kid?" the man asked again, looking interested in knowing the helper's name.

"Oh, it's Kyousuke. Kousaka… Kyousuke."

But before the man could respond they were suddenly interrupted by a young blonde woman who walked over to them, pointing at Kyousuke as she approached.

"Oh! You must be Kirino's aniki. It's a pleasure to meet you," the blonde said offering a hand towards Kyousuke. "My name is Yoko, by the way."

"No problem," Kyousuke said, noticing the girl's American features. "Thought you guys might need a hand."

"That we did. As thanks, let me buy you something from the cafeteria. I'm heading over there for my lunch now anyway so I might as well get you something," Yoko stated as a flirty gaze was directed towards him. But of course, like usual, Kyousuke had managed to miss the signs once again.

"Oh that's alright. There's no need for you to…"

Before Kyousuke could decline the girl's rather generous offer, he instantly froze. From the corner of his eye he sensed movement and his suspicions were confirmed when he heard a voice shouting into his ear.

"Oi!" Kirino shouted, barging into the conversation by grabbing Kyousuke's hand and pulling him away. The blonde assistant looked rather annoyed by this, but also felt famished after a hard day's work; a puzzling conundrum.

After a silent battle, her curiosity managed to outweigh her hunger and she stayed to watch the siblings' one sided quarrel. Amused, Yoko watched this new found side of Kirino, a side she had never expected to see in a million years. But the majority of her attention was fixated on Kyousuke who, despite being seven years her junior, still looked very delectable.

"Would you stop flirting with every girl within a five mile radius? They're my co-workers for god's sake. Have you no shame?" Kirino whispered, pulling him away from Yoko who had a reputation for being a bit of a flirt.

"I wasn't flirting Kirino, I was just helping out…"

"Why are you helping out!?" Kirino shouted, gripping his collar with her recently manicured fingers. "You're not supposed to be helping everyone! You're supposed to be helping me and me alone! But I haven't seen you helping me once today. Not unless you count the times you embarrassed me in front of my co-workers."

Kirino's frustrations with this entire situation had been building up for a while now. Since leaving the makeup area she had been watching Kyousuke from afar, and had seen him helping others without thought of a reward. That was just like her aniki. Kyousuke had always been helping her with very little incentive so it really wasn't a surprise that yet another girl had taken an interest or had been taken in by his subtle charms which even he didn't know he possessed.

Still… why was every single teenage female and older woman falling for Kyousuke? It made no sense whatsoever. He was admittedly kind, caring, and somewhat good looking, but there were certainly better options out there. So, why did they have to show an interest in her Kyousuke? Kirino had worked exceedingly hard to create distance between Kyousuke and any girl who had taken an interest in him. Including Manami who had somehow managed to steal him away from her during Kirino's youth.

_Is there something in the water? Why are they all falling for my aniki? _Kirino pondered angrily. _If I had known I would have kept him at home!_

"Kirino?" Kyousuke said, bringing Kirino back to the conversation she initiated. There was obviously more she needed to get off her chest, he thought. So rather than annoy her further Kyousuke had decided to let her vent; only she had stopped talking.

"Get me a lemon scented drink from the cafeteria, now!" Kirino ordered, at least this way she could make Kyousuke work to please her needs. Not to mention the fact that her throat felt parched due to the heat.

"A drink? That's a little random," Kyousuke muttered, surprised by Kirino's sudden change of tactics.

"I'm thirsty and you're supposed to be my personal assistant, remember? So go and get me a lemon scented drink already."

With that final instruction, Kirino thrust some money towards him and then stomped away considering the matter dealt with. Unfortunately, her exit was thwarted by an outstretched hand which stopped further movement. A familiar hand clasped her own. Turning, Kirino was unsurprised to find Kyousuke staring back at her, looking apologetic. Recognising the familiar touch Kirino flushed and stuttered before facing him.

"W-W-W-W-What are you doing!? Baka!"

"Kirino," Kyousuke said, looking around the area and then back at his sister. "I-I don't know where the cafeteria is."

"… This is unbelievable," Kirino huffed, tightening her grasp on his hand and leading the way. "What is the point of a personal assistant when the model has to do everything for them? Come on then, I'll show you this time, but you better remember for future reference."

While Kirino might have been pretending to be annoyed, she felt silently elated as his hand rested in hers. The feel of his skin made Kirino's heart race once again. No matter how many times they touched Kirino would always react the same way. With a new found purpose, Kirino walked straight past the blond haired assistant mouthing the words, "He's taken!" This was registered by the assistant who sighed in acknowledgement before leaving herself.

To Kirino's surprise, Kyousuke would, unexpectedly, tighten his hold against her hand. The young model couldn't help but smile at the act. As she walked through groups of models and staff Kirino couldn't help but hope this displayed a hint of how strong their bond was. A bond which she hoped would one day strengthen to mutual ownership, because right now only Kyousuke occupied a place in both her heart and soul. The same could not be said for Kyousuke though, or so she thought.

* * *

.

.

.

After a disastrous trip to the cafeteria, where Kirino had complained about the lack of choices on the menu, the two had since split up. Kyousuke stood out of the way of everyone while Kirino and the other models stood deep in discussion with the director dressed in bathrobes which covered stylish swimsuits. Looking up at the director, Kyousuke noticed the man issuing instructions to the remaining models as well as explaining the mood he wanted to set in this shoot.

It was becoming rather obvious now, but the director seemed to be talking to Kirino a lot more than the other models. Kirino had even told him that the other models would be for backup purposes, models that would stand behind her for added eye candy. While she, Kirino, would be the main attraction. As had been the case for the last couple of years apparently, she was, after all, considered the image of this company's brand.

As he watched the robe clad models, leaning against the far side wall with one foot propped against it, Kyousuke noticed how at ease they looked. The models didn't seem annoyed by their restrictive roles. Instead they talked to members of the crew, joking with one another. This was unlike anything he could have expected. If Kyousuke had been brutally honest he would have imagined snide comments and an uneasy atmosphere, however, it was the exact opposite. Not a bad word could be heard and everyone seemed to be in their element which was quite bizarre, seeing as they were about to take off their robes and show the crew, and readers, their half exposed bodies.

Watching the other models leave the stage - taking off their robes and handing it to a nearby assistant - Kyousuke returned his attention to Kirino. She, however, remained on stage talking with the director in a commanding voice which was beginning to carry. From what Kyousuke could hear, from far off in his position, it sounded like Kirino was suggesting poses. As well as where she felt the best pictures could be taken, offering her own opinion which the director appeared to value.

While Kirino spoke, the director was taking notes while offering several adjustments to Kirino's planned poses. Kirino continued to perform a variety of rather seductive, but modest poses, with further input from the director as usual. This went on for a little while as the director and Kirino joked a little, laughing at sentences which he could not hear. It was clear to Kyousuke that the director and Kirino had worked together before. Both seemed comfortable with the other's presence and even challenged each other's input on occasion.

Before long, Kirino had left the stage, but not before offering the director an energetic high five as she left. Kyousuke couldn't help but smile at this; she was surrounded by reliable people it seemed. There was very little to worry about concerning Kirino's safety when it came to work, she looked very highly prized. He had always felt a little uneasy when it came to Kirino's modelling career because he did not know the people she worked with. Not to mention all the horror stories on TV of how women were promised jobs for sexual deeds, exploitation at its most depraved. But it was clear that no such offer had been made towards Kirino. If it had, then Kyousuke would personally beat the living daylights out of that man. Kirino was out of bounds in his opinion.

While Kyousuke stood and watched the models arrive back on stage, swimsuit clad bodies on show for all to see, something unexpected happened. Within his peripheral vision Kyousuke noticed a rather mature woman walking towards him before leaning on the wall a short distance away. She looked no older than forty and her clothes screamed fashion conscious. She said nothing as she stood a finger's width away from Kyousuke and stared at the stage with glasses hiding her eyes focus.

Feeling no need to question her behaviour, Kyousuke remained silent and watched the stage alongside this stranger. But as time passed he couldn't help but suspect that he was the only one watching out of the two of them. Rather uncomfortably, he felt the lady's eyes glancing in his direction with an intensity which could not be ignored. Having had enough of this silent inspection, Kyousuke turned to face the stranger. Any intention was silenced as a hand was held towards him, a faint smile crossing her lips.

"Kashima Yumi. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, her hand still held aloft.

"Sorry?"

"That's my name, silly. Kashima Yumi and what would be your name?"

"Oh," Kyousuke said, rather taken aback by the confident air which radiated from her. "Kousaka Kyousuke. And it's a pleasure to meet you too… I guess."

Motioning to her hand once again, Kyousuke gripped it and shook firmly. Satisfied with this, Yumi returned to leaning against the wall while staring at the models on stage. Blinking at this bizarre exchange, Kyousuke decided to leave the matter behind. But his intentions were denied when she spoke again, almost speaking aloud rather than at any one in particular.

"The set looks beautiful, doesn't it?" Yumi said while smiling as she looked upon the beach in the background.

"Uh, yeah. I suppose it does."

"I know it's not a real place, but don't you wish it was, Kyousuke-kun?"

Confused, Kyousuke said the first thing that came to his head, "Is that beach not a real place then? How would you even know that?"

"Well, because I heard it from a… a friend. The artist said she painted it from her dreams but has no memory of the place. She'd never even been to a beach before."

"Then how did she know what a beach looked like?" Kyousuke asked, intrigued by the artist's imagination.

"She didn't, she couldn't. That's why she decided to draw it."

"I see…"

…

Silence spanned between the two. Kyousuke felt uncomfortable in this woman's presence while Yumi seemed none the wiser. She merely stared at the stage, her darkened glasses giving little away. Despite this, Kyousuke still felt her eyes watching him. Just as he was about to walk away and find somewhere more appropriate to sit, Yumi interrupted.

"They look beautiful don't they?" Yumi stated, her hands resting behind her back as she spoke.

"Who? You mean the models?"

"They're very pretty, don't you think? They all look so lovely, so radiant."

"Yeah, I suppose they do," Kyousuke stated, noticing how the woman leaned off the wall and towards him.

"Those models might be beautiful, but they are nothing compared to Kirino-chan, don't you agree?"

He felt the penetrating gaze before he even muttered a response; the woman's stare was intense and she seemed to inch even closer. Moving a little, Kyousuke was beginning to wonder who the hell this person was. Was she an assistant who worked here? A model perhaps? But she felt oddly out of place here, her work bag hanging between her fingers as she took in his features.

"She is considered the main attraction so… yeah, I suppose so."

At this response the lady began to nod her head, looking around as time passed. Her behaviour was quite odd, but before Kyousuke could even question it, Yumi spoke again.

"Kirino-chan is so very beautiful and unique, yet she works in this place. Don't you find that odd?" Yumi mentioned, focusing on Kirino who was posing for shots amongst the other girl's. Camera flashes obscured their vision as they engaged in a rather odd conversation, at least in Kyousuke's opinion.

"I wouldn't say it's strange. She likes to work here and the people seem very approachable. So, no I don't think it is strange."

"You don't go into this business seeking friendship, Kyousuke-kun. If you want to make friends then modelling is the last place you would want to go to," Yumi pointed out, raising a finger to her chin as she thought. "You get into this business for one thing, and do you not what that is?"

Taking Kyousuke's silence as admission, Yumi answered her own question. "Fame! You get into this business because you want fame and recognition. Places like this company are nothing more than pedestals for up and coming models. Places where you can get a little money and learn the ropes before you hit the big time."

"So what are you saying?" Kyousuke asked, not seeing much point in this conversation.

"Kirino is already bigger than this company. One week of sales when her face is on the cover is almost triple the amount this company made for the last five years. Hell, she might one day become the female Japanese ideal if she desired such a thing. And yet she stays here, why?" Yumi muttered, questioning Kyousuke in that same unrevealing tone.

"I wouldn't know. And what's so bad about this place anyway? Sure it might seem a bit small time, but Kirino seems to enjoy working here. So why would she want to leave?"

"Maybe because she's been approached by all of the five largest modelling companies in Japan and America?" Yumi replied, nonchalantly.

"What?" Kyousuke muttered, surprised by this sudden utterance.

"Didn't you know?" Yumi asked with a teasing tint in her voice. "The biggest companies in modelling have tried to snap her up and she's rejected every last one of them. They offer her more money and she still declines their offers. She is a hot commodity, yet she will not take the next step in her life, I wonder why?"

Bewildered, Kyousuke looked up at Kirino who was smiling and winking at the camera in a seductive manner. Even with their sibling connection Kyousuke couldn't help but redden at how cute his sister appeared, she really was something special. Kirino continued to show off; blowing kisses towards the camera and stretching her arms towards the sky as she jumped into the air. Kirino was really something and that obvious fact had hit Kyousuke like a freight train.

"I never even heard of these offers..." Kyousuke murmured.

"She still gets them daily. There have been negotiations between this company and many others since her rise in popularity. But no matter how many times they agree on a price, Kirino always declines their offer. It's almost like something's keeping her here."

Intrigued, Kyousuke replied. "What do you mean? 'Something's keeping her here?'"

"She's been offered money which would have made any top model drool by the mouth and yet she rejects them all the same. And she never offers an excuse, but I know the truth."

"And what would that be?"

"This is just a guess on my part but I think it's because she doesn't want to leave the Chiba prefecture," Yumi acknowledged, answering Kyousuke's question. "If she were to accept their offers then Kirino-chan would be forced to relocate. Which is why I've always wondered why she stays here? What's in Chiba that can't be found anywhere else?"

"Friends," Kyousuke replied feeling no longer out of the loop. "She stays because she doesn't want to leave her friends again."

"Again?" Yumi asked.

"She left once but she eventually came back when I… intervened," Kyousuke quickly spoke up again when he realised Yumi might take this out of context. "But that's not why she came back. She came back because she missed her friends, her school… even mom and dad. She missed everyone and didn't realise how important they were until she left."

"You didn't mention yourself Kyousuke-kun? You mentioned her friends and parents but not once did you mention yourself." Yumi pointed out, crossing her arms as she spoke.

"That's because there's nothing to say. We might be related, but things have never been quite right between us. I don't think she came back for me; Kirino isn't that sentimental. But her friends on the other hand and… other… things… they would have kept her in Japan without my help."

"You downplay your own significance in her life, I'm sure Kirino-chan values you very much."

Scoffing at Yumi's words, Kyousuke returned his attention to the stage where Kirino was waving towards the camera. He couldn't help but smile as she posed one moment then made a joke the next, she was so full of life. No doubt content with her life as it is. Yumi was wrong; Kirino didn't stay because of him. She stayed because of the opportunities that Chiba afforded. Friendship, work and even her secret hobby. They all kept Kirino grounded, kept her in Chiba. Of course having Akihabara nearby was also an incentive, but he wouldn't dare tell Yumi about that.

She had so much potential though, and despite his previous thoughts he began to wonder. Was all her potential going to waste in this city? Kirino was undeniably talented and her abilities weren't limited to just modelling. Kirino had received the highest grades since elementary school all the way to high school, accomplished sporting feats which put professional athletes to shame and there was so much more. Kyousuke hadn't even touched the surface of Kirino's abilities. But the question remained, was Chiba holding Kirino back?

"She is a remarkable woman, Kirino. You know that don't you Kyousuke-kun," Yumi muttered, her entire attention focused on the boy who looked increasingly troubled. "She has so many positive traits; looks, personality, enthusiasm. Kirino has everything; intelligence, charm and a body which no girl her age should be allowed to have. And yet she stays because of sentimentality, ridiculous!"

Kyousuke, meanwhile, barely listened to Yumi's words, offering a nod or a shrug when an interval presented itself. This had been a critical information overload, and Kyousuke was still working through the pieces. He had always been aware of Kirino's popularity, but he had never realised how far it reached. If Yumi spoke the truth, then five of the most prominent modelling companies were spending top dollar/yen to acquire her. So what kept her here? Were Ayase, Kuroneko, Saori and the rest so important that she would reject stardom?

…

"Kirino-chan is the name on everyone's lips these days and I have no doubt she will be remembered long after she is old. And yet she's wasting all of her talent on this place. She will never become a star if she stays here, don't you see that Kyousuke-kun?" Yumi asked, her voice wavering as she spoke of Kirino. This piqued Kyousuke's attention, Yumi sounded almost enamoured, in awe of Kirino's potential. Why?

Kyousuke stopped thinking and turned to look at the older woman. What she was saying was no doubt a possibility and yet something set off alarm bells after hearing Yumi's final words. She was almost imploring him to see her side of things; why? Why would she be trying to convince him? Was there something he didn't know about Yumi?

Yumi however continued, oblivious to Kyousuke's sceptical stare. "So much money has been thrown at her and she never even thinks about accepting. We all need money to survive and she's being offered money that will keep her settled for two lifetimes, let alone one. And yet she turns it down, it's unheard of in this day and age."

The pieces were starting to come together, whether due to Yumi's miscalculation or his own intuition. It seemed odd to Kyousuke listening to Yumi's opinions on the matter because she seemed to know an awful lot about the corporate side of the modelling world. She had an obvious interest in money and seemed invested in Kirino's modelling career which all pointed to one thing.

_She's a talent scout…_

Yumi had been less than subtle in her attempts at coercion, but Kyousuke had figured it out, Yumi was an agent or a scout of talent at least. She was trying to use his connections to Kirino for her own ends, perhaps to incite jealousy or maybe even persuade Kirino to go for her own good. It was, after all, a brother's job to look after his younger sister, to do what was best for her. But this must have been why Yumi was staring earlier. Was she trying to get Kyousuke to cut her ties with his sister?

The woman must have known about Kyousuke's importance to Kirino and had been intending to sever their connection once and for all. This thought never reached Kyousuke's mind, of course, but anyone else close to the two would have reached this understanding. They were very much inseparable nowadays. And if Yumi had been able to distance Kyousuke from Kirino then maybe, just maybe, she could have acquired the famed Kousaka Kirino. Acquired her due to grief, right from under the noses of her other unaware rivals.

In Yumi's mind, Kirino was a rare breed of a model .One with intelligence, creativity and conviction as well as unique beauty. It was a combination which was rarely seen in the modelling world which was full of pretty faces and clueless minds. But Kirino was nothing like those people, she was a woman of initiative and values unlike many other models who didn't have a brain cell between them. Kirino could have been a role model to younger audiences and yet she refused to take the steps forward, she never understood why until now.

Meanwhile, Kyousuke pondered Yumi's words because they were no doubt said with honesty even if the intent to use them had been dishonest. Kirino was special, not only in his eyes, but in the eyes of people around the world. The same people who went out and bought the company's magazine where Kirino's pictures could be found. He realised now, Kirino could become more than she had ever been and that realisation astonished him.

Kirino could defy all expectations and become the face of the modelling world if she set her sights on it. And if she had no intentions of becoming a model then there were other options available to her. Kirino might have been beautiful, but she was also creative and had written a novel at the early age of **15.** If she tried she could become the most followed novelist in Japan, or maybe even manga if she tried that particular trade. So, why was she staying when she had so much to offer to the outside world? She could be so much more and yet she kept denying her own future, why?

But as he thought along the lines that Yumi had been suggesting, Kyousuke realised something. Despite all the things he had said and despite all of Kirino's potential, he realised one unfortunate thing. And that was the simple realisation that he didn't want to see Kirino disappear from his life. He didn't want to be abandoned like he had abandoned Kirino, early on in their lives. It was still a painful memory to Kyousuke, the day he ignored his sister's very existence due to jealousy. If Kirino were to leave his life one day then he didn't know how he would cope; she had become a vital part of his life. And if that connection became severed then… Kyousuke didn't know how he would react.

In the end though, it didn't matter. None of this mattered because his own personal opinion was not in Kirino's best interest. And Kyousuke would not be the one to dictate Kirino's life, only she had that right. He would never ever think of holding Kirino back and no one had the right to choose her life, other than Kirino herself. In this moment Kyousuke had come to a final decision. He would allow Kirino to shape her own lot in life without influencing her opinion in the slightest; he would not impose his own wishes onto her. Or anyone else for that matter.

This agent was no different than him, he had thought of influencing Kirino's life just like the woman had been hoping. Yumi was trying to coax him into cutting all ties with Kirino because of some ill placed sense of jealousy, or maybe even guilt. He would not betray Kirino's trust and he would never allow this person to dictate Kirino's life, nobody would ever have that right.

"I know what you're doing and it won't work." Kyousuke said, sighing as he rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

"W-What do you mean, Kyousuke-kun?" Yumi asked, her brow creasing in worry.

"I know you're an agent for one of those companies you just mentioned."

"I'm sorry," Yumi muttered realising her cover had been blown. "But I don't know what you mean. I'm not an agent; I'm just a fan of her work."

"Listen to me and make sure all of your buddies understand this," Kyousuke said, standing from his slouched position and staring her in the eyes. "No one will decide Kirino's future except herself. If you try to contact either myself or Kirino ever again then I will make you live to regret it."

Straightening up Kyousuke continued, watching the models playful poses on the stage. "Kirino will be the one to decide her future, not me… and not you!"

Scoffing Yumi straightened up and sent a scathing look towards Kyousuke who didn't budge from his position. "Don't think your little threat has made any sort of impact on me. I won't give up on her and you will be seeing me again, I can assure you of that. I know why she stays here; she stays for you even though you clearly don't see that. Maybe you don't feel anything for her because even after one meeting I've noticed something you haven't."

"And what's that?" Kyousuke muttered unaware that Yumi was approaching him while her eyes remained fixed on the stage.

"Ever since she stood on that stage, Kirino has been watching you very closely."

As Yumi said this, Kyousuke's head shot up and he saw Kirino's ocean blue eyes staring back at him, a scowl placed across her features. Her attention, however, was shifted by the director who shouted instructions and blocked her view of Kyousuke, which was rather lucky considering the circumstances. Because if Kirino had seen Kyousuke at that moment then she would have seen Yumi's lips pressing against his cheek. The effect not having its desired impact due to Kirino being completely unaware of the act.

"Chow!" and with that Yumi left, Kyousuke scrubbing his cheek as he watched her retreating back. Regaining his composure, after prolonged minutes of scrubbing, Kyousuke remembered Yumi's absurd assumption. She couldn't have been speaking the truth. Kyousuke knew he was somewhat important to Kirino, but to be the sole reason why she stayed? No, that was absurd, preposterous.

"She would never stay because of me," Kyousuke murmured to himself. "She has never cared to hear about my opinion and has never thought that highly of me in the first place. Kirino doesn't need me, she doesn't stay for me. She lived without an aniki for years and not once did she consider leaving. And because of my treatment of Kirino, I missed my chance to watch over her, to be the aniki she deserved. I just have to accept the fact that she no longer needs me anymore… not like how I need her."

Noticing his shoes for the first time since his monologue, Kyousuke realised he had been looking down for far too long. It was at this moment of realisation when a sudden pain wracked his body, Kyousuke limbs ached and his vision becoming blurred. Suddenly, there was a throbbing pounding residing in his head and he almost keeled over had it not been for his hold on the wall. Staggering from the sudden uncomfortable incursion, Kyousuke held his hand to his forehead. His body temperature felt through the roof. How had this happened so abruptly? This didn't feel natural, no not in the least.

Not wanting to trouble anyone with this passing condition, Kyousuke staggered towards the exit to the room intending to deal with this problem in private. Perhaps in a place which would be unoccupied, like Kirino's changing room for that matter. Having found a secluded area Kyousuke began walking towards the changing room, the persistent pounding of his head causing him great discomfort. The ground shifted around him as he made his way towards the exit on unsteady legs.

However, unbeknown to Kyousuke, Kirino had been watching him, concern evident on her features. From the little she had seen, Kyousuke seemed to be staggering as he walked, his face looking pale and pained. She had been watching her aniki for a while, ever since she started posing, in fact, hoping to see a reaction from him. But her plans had been scuppered the moment that meddling woman appeared from nowhere. While she watched Kyousuke's movements, Kirino could hear the director trying to gain her attention, but she did not make any attempts to answer him.

She remembered how uncomfortable Kyousuke had felt talking to this woman followed by his anger at the latter stages of the conversation. Why had he reacted in such a way? It was most unlike him because he was normally quite welcoming, if not a little creepy. Kirino would never have admitted this out loud but she felt concerned for Kyousuke. She wanted nothing more than to get this over with so she could find out what was wrong with him. Maybe even help him like he had helped her over these past few months.

"Kirino! Could you please pay attention?" The director shouted, Kirino, however, showed little signs of a response.

Kirino's eyes shifted to the disappearing woman, burning a hole right through her before she vanished from sight. Kyousuke's reaction must have had something to do with that woman, and if so then she would pay dearly. It was not common knowledge to all, but Kirino had always been protective of Kyousuke, even at an early age. It was a habit of hers that would never change, no matter the circumstances involved. She needed to see him right now; Kirino could not delay any longer.

But as she turned to the director, she noticed that his eyes had been following Kyousuke's disappearing figure too. With another glance towards Kirino he recognized the heartbroken expression creasing her features, an expression he was used to seeing, but never from Kirino. Kirino had always been full of zest before, but now she looked greatly affected by something. It was a sight the director did not like one bit.

Turning to face Kirino, the director stepped on stage and pushed her towards the room's exit. Bewildered, Kirino looked around to face him again and was about to ask 'why did you push me off the stage?' when the director cut in. A small smile appearing on his lips, the director stepped down from the stage and wrapped an arm around Kirino's shoulder.

"Go and see him," he said, shushing Kirino's question before it ebbed to the surface. "I expect you back in thirty minutes young girl, and not a second longer, understood?

"Y-Yes, thirty minutes is all I need."

"Well go on then, we'll be waiting till you get back. Now get going!"

With one last utterance of gratitude Kirino sprinted out of the room in search of her aniki. Wherever might he be?

Smiling and shaking his head in amusement, the director turned to address his crew. "Alright guys take a break for lunch and then we need you back here in an hour's time."

Laughing, one of the older models spoke up, "But didn't you just tell Kirino-san that she would be needed back in half an hour?"

"Yes I did, but that's because you young teenagers never come back at the appointed time. If I tell you to come back in fifteen minutes you take half an hour. If I tell you to come back in an hour you'll take two. It's the same principle. So you guys make sure you come back in an hour and Kirino-chan will be back in her version of half an hour."

Laughing the remaining group dispersed towards the cafeteria…

* * *

.

.

.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was very long but I assure you it will lead into something big. The next chapter will be very significant to this story and will answer **some **questions you have had regarding this story. I won't out right say them of course, the answers will be hidden under piles of context as per usual, you just have to look very closely and connect the dots so to speak.

Now to the important part, I have some good news if you are a fan of this story. I have decided, after several big changes in my life, to concentrate solely on this story and another called A Serpent's Lament. This means Empty Places will be updated regularly now, no more month and a half waits because of conflicting issues or trying to please everyone. I have placed my other stories on temporary hiatus so that I would have more time to write this story. The reason why I'm doing this is because my free time has been dramatically reduced due to a friend's wellbeing, nothing serious unless you consider pregnancy a serious matter. And no, before you ask, it is not mine :P

Unfortunately, her income means she can't support herself while she is out of work which is why me, and a couple of friends, have decided to work a little in the holidays to help her. She's a good friend of mine so I have no problem doing this for her, and the work is not taxing but is quite long.

Never the less, I would be very much grateful if you would review forthcoming chapters because the incentive to continue writing has been absolutely fantastic. I cannot thank you guys enough, your support is the reason why I am placing this story as my highest priority, Fan Fiction wise. It would make me feel so grateful, and happy, to see your opinions and reviews after a hard day of work. It would give me the incentive to keep writing and to keep working in some ways.

Well, all the best and I hope you have enjoyed Chapter seven part one.


End file.
